World Cup unlock: RS pays more than Bt300m in refunds to customers

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WORLD CUP UNLOCK
RS pays more than Bt300m in refunds
WATCHIRANONT THONGTEP
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- LEADING music and entertainment company RS has paid Bt326.97 million to customers for compensation after it agreed with the broadcasting regulator to unlock all live matches of the Fifa World Cup soccer tournament for free-TV channels.

Chief operating officer Pornpan Techarungchaikul said yesterday that 200,000 customers had returned their Bt1,590 World Cup set-top boxes and 30,000 subscribers had called for a refund of the Bt299 package to watch the matches via other types of satellite-TV boxes. Those customers have received a full refund. Therefore, the total value of the compensation was Bt326.97 million.

Last month, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) approved a Bt427-million subsidy to the World Cup's broadcast-rights licensee RS International Broadcasting and Sport Management, a subsidiary of RS, as compensation for losses incurred after the company agreed to "unlock" the matches for TV5, Channel 7 and Channel 8 to access.

Under the original plan, the company had reserved only 22 live matches for Channel 7 and Channel 8, while the remaining live matches were to be available via its pay-TV channel PSI Digital O2 HD and TrueVisions using the set-top box.

RS chief executive officer Surachai Chetchotisak said his company had received only about Bt100 million compensation, while the remaining compensation would be discussed with the commission's special negotiation subcommittee, which consists of representatives from the Finance and Commerce ministries, the Budget Bureau, and the NBTC.

"What we will get cannot be compared to what we will lose," Surachai said.

However, Pornpan said her company hoped that the NBTC would deliver on its promise.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/RS-pays-more-than-Bt300m-in-refunds-30237613.html


-- The Nation 2014-07-03

[Suriya4]

Why would NBTC deliver their promise? No way. They already cam out to say any broadcast on channel 8 don't count asa free TV, hence no pay.

[Mango Bob]

Once again a company get screwed in Thailand.

[casualbiker]

Why would NBTC deliver their promise? No way. They already cam out to say any broadcast on channel 8 don't count asa free TV, hence no pay.

Even though channel 8 is in fact a free to air channel (which RS paid the NBTC for a license to use) but the NBTC have not expanded digital in the time frames they originally quoted. If I was RS I would counter sue the NBTC for negligence.

Sent from my XT1032 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[LuckyLew]

Cannot see companies lining up any more to bid on rights for major events when the

Gov't or some agency forces them to show on live to air

Thinking RS is gonna lose a <deleted> load of money on this one

[tomyummer]

Once again a company get screwed in Thailand.

At least it's a Thai one.

[tingtongteesood]

I feel a lot of sympathy for RS who are after all a privately owned company with shareholders that is just trying to make a profit. They have lost hundreds of millions from this whole debacle. I also think it is very unfair that tax payers money was used to pay when there are many people who don't give a stuff about football. This is one thing the military has done since it took power that is a big X from me. They have done a great job for the most part but this was a very bad idea from the start...

[Emster23]

I think we should all applaud replacing rice pledging scheme with football pledging scheme. Appeals to broader base of the non-electorate.

[wandasloan]

Once again a company get screwed in Thailand.

Nonsense. In fact, the Official Thai Visa Junta Boosters Dependable Support Squad, in the original thread of this subject, made it completely clear that the honest, moral and just simply upstanding Royal Thai Army Team in Charge of Happiness would ensure that RS gets paid within this month. Any suggestion that the NBTC would be allowed to stiff RS was shouted down in organised sychophation as simply anti-coup propaganda more dangerous than making a sandwich.

Just a friendly reminder to watch your words around the OTVJBDSS. They take their support status seriously. If your post does not include a boost for the coup and its Dear Leader, obviously you are a subversive.

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