Thailand's NBTC shuts down 3,000 radio stations

[webfact]

NBTC shuts down 3,000 radio stations
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has shut down 3,000 unlicensed community radio stations in line with the martial law yesterday.

Under the law, the Army ordered some TV and illegal radio stations to stop broadcasting out of a concern that they may spread false information.

Takorn Tantasith, NBTC's secretary-general, said the commission and the Army have jointly shut down 2,000 stations that had not been granted a licence and 1,000 new ones.

The Army yesterday also ordered at least 11 cable and satellite TV stations to stop broadcasting, pending further notice. The Army also said the networks had to cease work in order to maintain law and order.

The channels include the anti-government BlueSky and pro-government Asia Update, while the networks shut down are ASTV, MV5, DNN, Asia Update, BlueSky, UDD, P&P, FourChannel, MFTV and Tnews.

As some of these channels are still posting content on their websites, the NBTC will have licensed Internet service providers to take down these sites.


-- The Nation 2014-05-21

[sjjmmi]

It takes the Army to shut them down and not NBTC as they have no power Amazing Thailand

Edited May 20, 2014 by sjjmmi

[trainman34014]

Best thing to do is close down the NBTC as well because it too is controlled by Politics. Form a new body that works independently....Oh wait; this is Thailand where Politics controls everything !

[bangkokheat]

army might as well shut down thailand, this is over the top

[winstonc]

unlicensed ...why do they allow them to operate in the first place..what a shambles this country is...saying that the village idiot who spouts his venom in our village over the speakers at 6pm every evening was noted for his absence yesterday..very quiet..and a couple more ptp flags taken down outside peoples houses.off topic i know but it makes me wonder...

[millwall_fan]

These radio stations are principally red shirt supporting which makes this a politically motivated move and a worrying portent of the army's intentions.

[MaxLee]

army might as well shut down thailand, this is over the top

Psssshtttt. Or it might really happen...

[whybother]

These radio stations are principally red shirt supporting which makes this a politically motivated move and a worrying portent of the army's intentions.

Which raises the question as to why the government didn't shut them down earlier.

[ChrisY1]

3000 stations!!.......I had no idea that there were anything like this number of broadcasters in Thailand........maybe just small part contributors of the madness!

[japanic13]

Can the military please shut down all the inane soap operas and slapstick comedy/variety shows that broadcast incessantly on Thai TV?

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[moe666]

My girlfriend is happy her boss broadcast red shirt news on the TV at work all day, it is off and the moment and she told the boss Som Num Na

[lovetotravel]

army might as well shut down thailand, this is over the top

Re read the op. Most of these stations were operating illegally. Spewing red shit propaganda and mis-information. These stations should have been shut down long ago. Unfortunately, the police are biased and ineffective. Congrats to the army.

[chainarong]

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unlicensed ...why do they allow them to operate in the first place..what a shambles this country is...saying that the village idiot who spouts his venom in our village over the speakers at 6pm every evening was noted for his absence yesterday..very quiet..and a couple more ptp flags taken down outside peoples houses.off topic i know but it makes me wonder...

Three thousand is rather large figure, pity they all didn't play RnB or rock in roll. then it would be a great tourist HUB

[valvenus]

These radio stations are principally red shirt supporting

They are also the major source of their inflaming and provocative, hateful speech and full of false information, when that is the last thing that is needed.

They also infringe on the airwaves of legal radio stations.

[Robby nz]

It has been said that some are still broadcasting regardless.

It will not take long before they find out this is not a game of defy the army.

Wont need many to have all their gear confiscated and some locked up before the rest see the light.

[WhizBang]

If 2000 radio or TV stations do not have a license, then why are they allowed to broadcast in the first place?

Oh, right. TIT. Never mind.

Thailand... the Hub of illegal radio and tv stations.

[gabruce]

These radio stations are principally red shirt supporting which makes this a politically motivated move and a worrying portent of the army's intentions.

You must be joking right? Could you possibly be contending that because a radio station is redshirt it should be allowed to operate? The army is treating everyone evenly so far. Selectively leaving the redshirt radio stations broadcasting WOULD be political. Shutting them down is not!

[farangbanok]

If 2000 radio or TV stations do not have a license, then why are they allowed to broadcast in the first place?

Oh, right. TIT. Never mind.

Thailand... the Hub of illegal radio and tv stations.

UK and most European countries - I guess US also have many thousands of illegal "pirate" radio stations, of ten with a broadcast range of just a few miles.

They use remote transmitters hidden in lift motor houses on high rise buildings with a UHF link from wherever the makeshift studio happens to be.

One transmitter is seized and they fire up another on another tower block.

Close them down if you can!

FACTS: http://www.c6.org/archive/radio/pirate-fm.html

[farangbanok]

It has been said that some are still broadcasting regardless.

It will not take long before they find out this is not a game of defy the army.

Wont need many to have all their gear confiscated and some locked up before the rest see the light.

Not ALL their gear, generally ONLY the transmitter (transponder) which can probably be built for less THB 1000.

Finding the operators is much more difficult, so if you can't find them, you can't lock them up.

Edited May 21, 2014 by farangbanok

[MMarlow]

It takes the Army to shut them down and not NBTC as they have no power Amazing Thailand

Apparently not...

"The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has shut down 3,000 unlicensed community radio stations in line with the martial law yesterday."

[whybother]

It takes the Army to shut them down and not NBTC as they have no power Amazing Thailand

Apparently not...

"The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has shut down 3,000 unlicensed community radio stations in line with the martial law yesterday."

It took the army to tell the NBTC to shut them down, as the PTP government didn't want to shut down the red shirt propaganda radio stations.

[MobileContent]

Looks to me Youtube is shut down as well. Can't access YT since last night via TrueMove-H.

[Tywais]

Looks to me Youtube is shut down as well. Can't access YT since last night via TrueMove-H.

No problem on 3BB Chiang Mai.

[Pimay1]

Looks to me Youtube is shut down as well. Can't access YT since last night via TrueMove-H.

No problem on 3BB Chiang Mai.

No problem on TOT Kalasin district, that is if the *&%##! Internet would stay up.

[Bangmod]

army might as well shut down thailand, this is over the top

Why over the top??

2000 of them have no license!!!!

In most western countries they will not only be shut down, but they will be fined as well.

Good that the Army is doing the job, the coppers fault to do.

[Bangmod]

If 2000 radio or TV stations do not have a license, then why are they allowed to broadcast in the first place?

Oh, right. TIT. Never mind.

Thailand... the Hub of illegal radio and tv stations.

Good to see that the Army is doing the job that the police refused to do

[billd766]

Looks to me Youtube is shut down as well. Can't access YT since last night via TrueMove-H.

No problem on 3BB Chiang Mai.

No problem on TOT Kalasin district, that is if the *&%##! Internet would stay up.

No problem on TOT at Khampaeng Phet either.

[Sandman77]

Here in isaan!

Not any station has been closed!

I remember them all!

Mowlam all the waves long!

In night time when nonstop advertising thairadio switch of I can hear Cambodia on 91,5 96,5 and 95 MHz

With a signal booster antenna

On nighttime comes the only English radio news plus .cn

Never heard about this!

Please close all Thai radio , the nonstop

Advertising makes me crazy!

[Sandman77]

How high is the fine for opening a pirate radio station in Thailand ?

150 baht and 7 satang?

[fab4]

These radio stations are principally red shirt supporting which makes this a politically motivated move and a worrying portent of the army's intentions.

Which raises the question as to why the government didn't shut them down earlier.

Not at all. It just means that these radio stations, from the military perspective, could be perceived as broadcasting "misleading information".

Luckily the previous government when it was in power didn't have censorship of radio broadcasts as one of it's core values.

As far as stations without a licence are concerned - that's the remit of the NBTC.