NBTC chief says no intention to censor TV series 'Hormones' - yet

[webfact]

NBTC Chief Says No Intention To Censor 'Hormones' - Yet
By Khaosod Online

A screenshot of the teen drama series 'Hormones'

BANGKOK: -- It appears that the popular TV series about teens being teens gets to live for another day, after a top official said he had no plan to axe the show as many have feared.

The comment came after the members of Office of National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) met with producers of "Hormones" at Century Park Hotel. The meeting was arranged by NBTC so that the producers can discuss about the much-debated series.

"Hormones" featured stories about student characters facing various issues in their adolescence. Some scenes hint at (but never explicitly show) sexual intercourse of the characters - and such frank portrayal of teenage life distinguished the series from the rest of largely-conservative media landscape in Thailand.

Each episode was aired on a cable channel and later uploaded onto Youtube website. The producers had claimed "Hormones" has been watched by over 1 million people.

Nevertheless, NBTC says it has received a number of complaints about the sexually suggestive contents of the TV show, so its members had deemed it necessary that the producers explained their motives about the series to the Commission.

The meeting was attended by Ms. Somsri Rittipan, General Manager of GMM One Channel - which airs the show - and Mr.Songyot ‘Yong’ Sukmak-anant, the director and producer of the series from the company GMM Thai Hub.

Lt.Gen. Peerapong Manakit, director of the NBTC, told Khaosod that the Commission will always use "the right procedures" to handle the issue before resorting to any "hard power" to decide the fate of the series.

He stressed that the Commission is still on its early stage to solve the issue, and there has been no intention to ban the series so far, contrary to reports that the NBTC will simply axe "Hormones", especially after one of its starlets was photographed taking methamphetamine with her friend.

Lt.Gen. Peerapong said the series had "triggered misunderstanding" and discussion in the society, so he will allow the producers to state their points of views. He said the NBTC will give fairness to every side, and encouraged the society to discuss about the show.

“We are calling the society to act like the jury”, said Lt.Gen. Peerapong

He also explained that the banning process is not common to censorship, “the producer needs to evaluate themselves first, and the NBTC will evaluate the content aired to the public”.

However, he confirmed that the investigation into whether the Hormones series has violated the section of broadcasting law about "public morality" is ongoing. He said it would take around 2 months before the Commission deliver its judgement.

Previously, Lt.Gen. Peerapong had expressed his wish to invoke the law to censor the show in order to preserve "public morality".

Source: http://www.khaosod.co.th/en/view_newsonline.php?newsid=TVRNM05UYzNOakF6TXc9PQ==

-- KHAOSOD English 2013-08-06

[MaxLee]

Oooohhh.,... welcome to the 21st century Where kids can access more information than ever, especially if there are rules that authority figures have set...

[bigbamboo]

Wait until they get to the episode where the teen superstar wannabe runs off with the aging, errant politician.

[NongKhaiKid]

As I understand the series will not be axed but the scripts have to be watered down to reflect correct Thainess not necessarily reality so that students who are doing what they do in real life at high school don't go home and get the wrong idea from a television show.

Only in Thailand !

[jaltsc]

Now, the only problem the members of the NBTC need to address is which one of their mia nois they are going to visit tonight

Edited August 6, 2013 by jaltsc

[PoodMaiDai]

Heaven forbid.

[Thai at Heart]

Thainess. It's just so real.....

[surangw]

"yet"

[ricku]

Bloody idiots. This show is extremely mild compared to western TV-shows like Spartacus and Game Of Thrones, where characters <deleted> their brains out in pretty much every episode.

If they really want to go into moral panic about something, then how about the disgusting sex trade that is going on everywhere?

Nope nope nope, can't touch that!! Don't want to mess with others tea money.

Edited August 6, 2013 by ricku

[RickBradford]

NBTC attempting another shot over the high part of the net, since all the episodes are available on the Internet, which is where most teenagers are likely to view it.

Another defeat for the Ministry of Enlightenment and Mental Mobilization, I think.

[realenglish1]

There is a crack in the Thai veneer. Hint of Sex "WOW" Every one does it but Thais like 2 dimensional characters and not real life This is why there are so many young unwed woman in this country running around with little kids. Because Thais do not talk about it.

Just a few common sense words and your daughter may not get pregnant. If they can talk about Feminine napkins on a commercial then don't you think its time to start to talk about sex too.

Education is the best medicine against teen pregnancy

[Morakot]

Thailand's answer to Skins shocks some, thrills others

Director of Hormones says calls for ban shows 'adults closing their eyes to reality'

Kate Hodal The Guardian, Monday 19 August 2013 14.28 BST

From the opening episode it becomes clear why Hormones, a drama of daily life at a Bangkok high school, has become the most talked about programme on Thai television.

http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2013/aug/19/hormones-thailand-school-tv-drama-sex-drugs