Fah Won Mai TV flays NBTC

[Lite Beer]

POLITICS
Fah Won Mai TV flays NBTC
THE SUNDAY NATION

File photo : Jatuporn

BANGKOK: -- Says broadcast regulators seemed biased, question if their programmes really do sow political division

MANAGEMENT of Fah Won Mai - the pro-Democrat Party TV station - has questioned the fairness of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission in assessing whether the station violated National Council for Peace and Order orders and causing social and political divisions.

Thakerng Somsab, the director of Fah Won Mai (formerly known as Blue Sky), issued a joint statement yesterday with one of the station's other executives, Vittayen Muttamara, detailing their concerns about a meeting they had with the broadcast regulator on Monday.

The two executives called for fairness, saying the station had been accused of causing public misunderstanding and social division through its programmes on three occasions, thus violating NCPO orders 97/2014 and 103/2014.

They denied the charge.

The executives said that at the meeting on Monday the NBTC representatives were "harsh and angry", as if they were "biased".

"Impolite words were used without consideration to equal human dignity," they said.

They quoted a leading regulator at the meeting, who was not identified, as saying: "What crazy stuff are you doing?" And: "You folks still don't get it."

The executives said they were not given a full chance to explain themselves, adding that they were only able to argue against one of the three incidents of breaching NCPO orders.

They said that a regulator at the meeting told them that even something truthful could not be broadcast if it caused political division and it was explained to them that this was the policy of the NCPO.

They then cited NCPO leader and Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha as saying in an interview on Tuesday that he had never forbidden the media from presenting anything as long as it was factual.

"Fah Won Mai is thus concerned that the regulators may have inaccurately understood the word 'reconciliation' from what the PM and the head of the NCPO understands," the executives said.

They insisted however that staff at the station were willing to improve and adjust content that may be inappropriate - and warn programme hosts to be more careful and less sarcastic.

"However, the station does not think it has reached the point where misunderstandings were caused to the public … or that [it] deserves severe punishment."

The executives added that the station had always been cooperative with the NBTC.

Red-shirt station Peace TV had its licence revoked by the NBTC for allegedly sowing political division and was pulled off air on Thursday. Bosses of the station have vowed to fight the move - and get its information out via other means.

In a related development, red-shirt United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) chairman and Peace TV co-host Jatuporn Promphan said the station will lodge a petition at the Administrative Court and submit a letter of complaint to the United Nations for being pulled off-air by the NBTC.

The station will also petition the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the Office of the Ombudsman and sue the NBTC, which shutdown the station on Thursday. It accused the NBTC of libel and of dishonestly carrying out its duty.

He said the station would continue to disseminate its content, albeit through social media platforms. Facebook and YouTube will be used while all the one hundred plus staff will be kept on.

The red-shirt co-leader said he would not abandon the staff, as they are like soldiers who will never be abandoned in the battlefield.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Fah-Won-Mai-TV-flays-NBTC-30259223.html

-- The Nation 2015-05-03

[slapout]

jatuporn may want to get the body bags ready, to even compare this group to soliders is a insult to military men and women througthout thailand. the only support jatuporn gives is the battle cry sic''em , while he is posturing for a photo shoot , miles behind the front lines in a hidey hole.

the only use for this man is as an example to youngsters as to what NOT to aspire to become when you grow up

[mikemac]

............"The red-shirt co-leader said he would not abandon the staff, as they are like soldiers who will never be abandoned in the battlefield.".................

Would hate to have to rely on this seedy little grub if things got nasty on the "battlefield". More likely he would jump out the nearest window and it would be every man for himself.

[Bluespunk]

"They quoted a leading regulator at the meeting, who was not identified, as saying: "What crazy stuff are you doing?" And: "You folks still don't get it."

Wow, how mean of them.

Why not run home and tell your mommy?

She might care.

[oneday]

These people contradict themselves. The statement below is quite scary and is the whole reason a media should be free from shackles. Right now they can't even speak the truth if you believe what this reporter is saying.

"...They said that a regulator at the meeting told them that even something truthful could not be broadcast..."

Then just below this statement we get this...

"...They then cited NCPO leader and Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha as saying in an interview on Tuesday that he had never forbidden the media from presenting anything as long as it was factual..."

So how can a regulator make the first statement above, when the General says this...because the person pulling their puppet strings (P) is telling them to and everyone knows who that is.

[chainarong]

A pro - Democrat TV station , that's like the Liberals in OZ having their station, only trouble there would be only 10 viewers, media should stay out of politics , it becomes a mouthpiece for the party , then it becomes un-democratic.

[halloween]

A pro - Democrat TV station , that's like the Liberals in OZ having their station, only trouble there would be only 10 viewers, media should stay out of politics , it becomes a mouthpiece for the party , then it becomes un-democratic.

Hmmmm............so why is (was?) UDD running Peace TV

[tbthailand]

Funny that the Nation pulls a Jatuporn file photo out to lead an article on Blue Sky TV...

I guess they know how to bait their readers...

[seajae]

doesnt matter who the station represents, if they are not abiding with the agreements they made then shut them down, dont need anyone stirring sh*t at this stage, yellow or red.

[djjamie]

I am sure the Blue Sky station will amend their programing to conform to the rules and regulations set out by the NTBC. They will respect the laws and authority even if they do not agree with it. As they insisted "staff at the station were willing to improve and adjust content that may be inappropriate".

​Respect for the law is what differentiates upstanding citizens and common criminals. They will not break the law and then complain to the UN, the courts just to get exposure.

And if they do then they should be taken off air as well. There is no room for hate propaganda on Australian TV and that should also be the case in Thailand as well.

[philw]

Listening to the electorate, or even letting them speak, is not an option............

[Godders]

Unless and until the Red Shirts are made a banned organisation, they have every right to be represented in the public forum. The fact that so many Thai Visa posters from Western democracies think otherwise simply shows how effective the leaders of their own nations have been in eroding hard-fought-for freedoms and rights won by their more perceptive and courageous forefathers.