Itv Must Again Focus On News

[Jai Yen Yen]

The Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) yesterday ordered Independent Television (iTV) to immediately resume operating as a news-oriented channel and to pay a billion baht a year in concession fees to the government by July 3.

However, the station shrugged off the order saying it still awaits a ruling by the Supreme Administrative Court.

On May 9, the Administrative Court overruled a decision by a panel of arbitrators in 2004 allowing iTV to air more entertainment programmes and to pay the government only 230 million baht a year in concession fees, instead of one billion baht.

The court ruled that the arbitrators' role should be limited to helping settle the dispute, and therefore should not have changed the terms of the contract. It told iTV to repay several billion baht in concession fees to the government and to increase the news programme portion to 70:50 as required under the original contract.

I agree 120% with that.

(From Bangkok Post: http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/20Jun2006_news01.php )

[sriracha john]

Interesting coincidence that all these fines and back payments and content dispute all occur AFTER Thaksin unloaded his ownership of the company.

Edited June 21, 2006 by sriracha john

[ratcatcher]

Interesting coincidence that all these fines and back payments and content dispute all occur AFTER Thaksin unloaded his ownership of the company.

Err, why am I not surprised SJ. .

What's he up to anyway? Keeping as low a profile as a snake in the weeds. No photos in the news, no foot in mouth comments. What the 'eck is goin'on?