Thaitv3 Urged To Let N B T C View Cancelled ' Nua Mek 2' Show

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TV3 urged to let NBTC view cancelled show

Veena Thoopkrajae,

Watchiranont Thongtep

The Nation

A woman holds up a sign saying 'Fear State' during a seminar yesterday on the cancelled TV series 'Nua Mek 2' at Chulalongkorn University.

Supinya to ask NBTC to verify broadcaster's claim that 'Nua Mek 2' episodes broke law; Thaksin's son says show should be aired

BANGKOK: -- Adding to the public pressure on Channel 3 over its controversial decision to drop the "Nua Mek 2" television series, the broadcaster was urged at a Bangkok seminar yesterday to send the unaired episodes of the show to the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to verify that its content violated broadcasting regulations, as Channel 3 claims.

Critics have alleged that powerful figures ordered "Nua Mek 2" to be scrapped because of its apparent parodying of politicians.

NBTC member Supinya Klangnarong told the seminar, held at Chulalongkorn University's Communication Arts Faculty, that she would propose that Channel 3 allow the commission to see the censored episodes of "Nua Mek 2" to determine whether they really breached Section 37 of the NBTC Act.

Her proposal received loud applause from the several hundred media representatives, students and members of the public in attendance.

Supinya said she disagreed with the unnecessary citing of Section 37. "The NBTC has never used Section 37 to ban any media, and we try not to abuse freedoms by over-exercising the law, which can create a climate of fear," she said.

"Nua Mek 2" (Above the Clouds 2) was abruptly pulled from the air last Friday, raising questions regarding freedom of speech and media censorship.

Pheu Thai Party spokesman Promphong Nopparit called on Channel 3 to make clear its stance over the self-censorship and called on it to broadcast the three episodes. Pulling athe show "yields no benefits to the [Pheu Thai-led government], while [bringing vilification on] the coalition leader and on [former prime minister and de-facto Pheu Thai leader] Thaksin Shinawatra," he said.

A group calling itself Soap Opera Lovers has vowed to rally on Monday in front of Channel 3’s headquarters on Rama IV Road in protest at the scrapping of the show.

Suwanna Sombatraksasuk, former president of the News Broadcasting Council of Thailand, told the seminar she didn't watch the series when it aired, but after the ban, she went and watched eight "Nua Mek 2" episodes and didn't find any content breaching Section 37.

Supaporn Phokaew, head of the Mass Communications Department at Chula's Faculty of Communication Arts, said the ban was a blow to the audience's freedom to interpret what they watch on TV. "If entertainment content is banned, what hope do we have with other forms of truth-finding in society?" she asked.

The seminar did not spell out any conclusions, but it was agreed that the NBTC and the public would join forces in discovering the facts about the case.

The Thai Constitution Protection Association yesterday called for an investigation into the sudden removal of "Nua Mek 2". Members of the association led by president Nantawat Praropkul and secretary-general Srisuwan Janya petitioned to both the NBTC and the Consumer Protection Board.

Srisuwan said that within seven days, the agencies must take action against Channel 3, or the association would lodge a complaint with the Central Administrative Court.

The banning of the show by Bangkok Entertainment Co - the operator of Channel 3 - constituted an infringement of people's freedom under Articles 45 and 46 of the Constitution and breached Section 61 of the Consumer Protection Act, Srisuwan said.

In the petitions, the NBTC is asked to order Channel 3 to broadcast the banned episodes of controversial drama during its former prime-time slot. The final episodes must not be edited or rearranged. The watchdog is also asked to fine Channel 3 for violating the consumer-rights law.

On Facebook, Thaksin's son Panthongtae yesterday described the series as a thinly veiled attack on his family, but nonetheless urged Channel 3 to broadcast the final episodes, despite the fact that the series unfairly caused damage to real people who could easily be linked to the series' fictional characters.

In his Facebook message, Panthongtae claimed Channel 3 stood to benefit from its decision to suddenly pull "Nua Mek 2" off air.

"The key message of the series has already been conveyed to the public. The last few episodes will hardly add anything new," he said. "Removing it now will just make the government the culprit in the eyes of the public."

Channel 3's PR manager Borisut Buranasamrit said yesterday, "Our officials have found that the content of these episodes is inappropriate. We believe in their judgement."

Borisut said Channel 3 held the rights to the TV series and definitely would not release its final episodes via any other media, such as by uploading them on YouTube or distributing them as CDs.

He said his station was ready to explain its decision to the NBTC.

-- The Nation 2013-01-09

[Chao Lao Beach]

A group calling itself Soap Opera Lovers has vowed to rally on Monday in front of Channel 3’s headquarters on Rama IV Road in protest at the scrapping of the show.

Perhaps they can conscript the rent a crowd that picketed out side the Germans house who got rid of that attacking dog or the mob who picketed Cathay Pacific Airways offices to get the silly flying mattress fired who made the coffee comment. Maybe that last group would be the first to picket if it was aired.

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[Jawnie]

The NBTC today is saying the show was pulled because of violent content. Earlier in the week, however, Channel 3 said the show possibly violated Sec. 37, which was announced by the NBTC. Below is a quote from Asian Correspondent of January 6, 2013. So, we are being given two completely different reasons for the cancellation - an always suspect occurrence. The 'too violent' rationale is completely bogus, of course, given that Thai cable endlessly plays movies of ancient wars and tons of murder mysteries. Gawd.....these people.

"Channel 3 executives abruptly terminated the controversial soap opera Nua Mek 2 on Friday night because of their concern its content could violate the law, a member of the broadcast regulator said yesterday.

Peerapong Manakit said he gathered from personal discussions with unnamed Channel 3 executives that the station was concerned the drama might violate Article 37 of the Radio and Television Broadcasting Business Act BE 2551 (2008). But he wasn't told which parts of the drama had such violations.

Peerapong is chairman of the National Broadcast and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC)'s subcommittee in charge of content and programme slots.

Peerapong said the scrapping of the soap opera was an act of self-censorship by the station. He said NBTC wouldn't be able to investigate the episodes that were aired or published and said the Channel 3 committee overseeing content must have thought it through before terminating it.

Article 37 prohibits the airing of programmes with content within the frame of overthrowing the country's democracy; or affecting national security, order or people's morality; or within the frame of obscenity or seriously affecting people's minds and health."

News Desk

The Nation

Publication Date : 06-01-2013

[KunKen]

It's time to that shit has been stopped.The shit soaps are starting much of the family problems in Thailand.

[muttley]

Oh No, Jo Brand is in Thailand!

[Tywais]

order or people's morality

Seriously? Have they ever even watched a Thai Soap?

[TheGhostWithin]

It's time to that shit has been stopped.The shit soaps are starting much of the family problems in Thailand.

Ken, I agree with some of the others. But we have to acknowledge that Thais, and particularly Thai women, have an affection for local Soaps. Nua Mek is different from other soaps, because it is used to educate. it is used to teach Thais how Politics in Thailand is at the moment, in its' sad, sorry and corrupt state, taking care of individual interests.

Maybe more soaps could be created, to educate Thais on other things, such as how to react in emergency flood/earth quake situations? Don't kill the messenger, just take off his hippie clothes, and put him in a suit.