Thai PBS director fired

[Lite Beer]

Thai PBS director fired

BANGKOK: -- The policy board of Thai PBS decided to terminate the contract with director Somchai Suwanban as of Friday without any compensation or advance notification.

The board faulted Mr Somchai of violating the term of contract which requires the director to seek the board’s approval for any project which is worth more than 50 million baht on four occasions, ignoring the recommendations of the board, lacking any strategic plan to boost competitiveness and plans to manage changes.

As a result of the termination of the contract, the three deputy directors namely Mr Mongkol Leelatham, Mr Supote Chingchit and Mr Wanchai Tantiwitthayapitak are also removed as of Friday.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/thai-pbs-director-fired

-- Thai PBS 2015-10-09

[ratcatcher]

Housecleaning?

[Pattaya28]

Sounds like something a bit fishy was going on.

Not encouraging competitiveness ?? I wonder why ​....... and he thought he'd get away with it

[ChrisY1]

Most likely a Ggood move...not that I now these people but for 4 of them to go, there was something serious going on...........house cleaning must be done regularly!

[Lite Beer]

PUBLIC TELEVISION STATION
Thai PBS chief shown the door
THE NATION

Somchai

Director General Somchai axed for failing to fix problems at station; lift ratings

THE BOARD of governors of Thai PBS, the public TV station, yesterday sacked its director-general Somchai Suwanban after he failed to follow its instructions on how to improve the station's competitiveness.

In its memo to Somchai terminating his employment, the board explained that he was sacked because he had ignored its suggestions to solve the problems of Thai Public Broadcasting Service. They also said he had no plan to manage the changes or a strategy to stay competitive, according to an informed source.

The nine-member board also said Somchai repeatedly broke a regulation by approving four projects costing more than Bt50 million each without receiving the green light from the board.

The board's memo to Somchai said his employment contract was being terminated without compensation, according to a source. The memo was signed by board chairman Assoc Professor Narong Petchprasert.

Somchai yesterday threatened to take his case to the Administrative Court.

The ousted Thai PBS director-general said he had discussed with his legal adviser about taking legal action against the board for revoking his employment contract before the end of his term in October next year.

The sacking comes three years after he was hired to serve in the post and a year before his four-year term ends on October 9, 2016.

Regarding the digital TV network project, for which the board faulted him, Somchai yesterday insisted that all processes were approved by the policy committee. The project began in October 2013.

"Although there was a controversy about transparency of the project, the investigation is still underway and I am waiting to be heard. Why did the committee make a decision on this matter?" he asked.

"I strongly believe the decision was not fair or legitimate," he stressed.

A source familiar with Thai PBS said that in last year's evaluation by the board, Somchai barely passed, with a split vote by board members.

The board was unhappy that the station's rating had declined and that Somchai had failed to improve the situation, the source said.

Somchai, who was a member of the Thai PBS board previously, succeeded Thepchai Yong as the top executive of the station. Before that, Somchai headed the Thai news section at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

After assuming the top post at Thai PBS, he was criticised for lacking experience in management. His leadership was also questioned in times of crisis and over many controversies involving the public broadcaster.

The termination of Somchai's employment contract was accompanied by three of his deputies - Mongkol Lilatham, Supoj Jingjit and Wanchai Tantiwitthayaphan - also being sacked.

In its statement issued yesterday, the Thai PBS board of governors announced that Puangrat Songmuang, the station's programme director, would serve as caretaker director-general until Somchai's replacement is appointed.

The selection of a new director-general is expected to be announced next week, according to the source.

Yesterday's sacking of Somchai took place a day after Media Monitor Foundation for Media Studies, a non-profit organisation, said Thai PBS was able to respond to public needs better than other public broadcasters such as TV5 and NBT. The foundation on Thursday organised a discussion entitled "From Thai PBS to the Future of Public Broadcasting Service in Thailand".

Earlier, Thai PBS was questioned as to whether the annual budget of Bt2 billion it got from earmarked tax was spent efficiently.

Writers of the previous constitution draft had attempted to control the earmarked tax allocated to Thai PBS and some other independent agencies. The drafters argued that the earmarked tax should be curbed to prevent the emergence of new agencies, which could lead to politicians misusing tax money for populist policies.

Thai PBS, a state-owned TV station modelled after the United Kingdom's BBC, charges the equivalent of 1.5 per cent of the same base, but not exceeding Bt2 billion a year.

Source http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Thai-PBS-chief-shown-the-door-30270597.html

-- The Nation 2015-10-10

[Lite Beer]

Thai PBS director cries foul against his dismissal by the board

BANGKOK: -- Thai PBS director Somchai Suwannaban said that he was unfairly fired by the board of governors as he had done nothing wrong and would take the case to the Administrative Court or the Labour Court to defend his rights.

The board decided to terminate Somchai’s employment contract with immediate effect as of Friday citing his failure to heed the board’s recommendations, defying a term of the contract requiring the director to seek the board’s approval for any project worth more than 50 million baht on four occasions and failure to come up with any plan to improve the organisation’s competitiveness.

Somchai admitted that he was baffled by the board’s decision to sack him. He said that the board had set up a fact-finding him to investigate him but the investigation process was still unconcluded and he was still yet to clarify to defend himself after having been notified this week by probe panel to testify.

He said he didn’t understand why the board ruled him guilty of violating the term of the contract whereas the investigation was still on-going.

Regarding the accusation that he didn’t seek the board’s approval on four projects worth more than 50 million baht each, the embattled Thai PBS director said that the case in point was the digital TV project back in 2013.

He said that the project was approved by the board of governors before he proceeded with the procurement of equipment for the digital TV project. He claimed that the Thai PBS digital TV project was used as a model for the transformation of analog TV into digital TV and Thai PBS’s achievement in this regard had received praise from the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission.

Somchai said he didn’t think there was a problem in this project and that he had kept the board informed of the developments of this project on continuous basis and the project was not objected by the auditor-general’s office.

He admitted he didn’t understand why the issue was raised now after almost two years and used as a reason to sack him.

He further said that he had kept the board informed of the management’s performance on monthly basis and there should be no problem about this matter.

Somchai disclosed that he had told the board that he felt he was unfairly treated and that he would consult his lawyer of what to do next to defend his rights. He said he had two choices, either to take the case to the Administrative Court or to the Labour Court.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/thai-pbs-director-cries-foul-against-his-dismissal-by-the-board

-- Thai PBS 2015-10-10

[kareona]

Thai PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) is the only really independent public broadcasting system in Thailand. All the other public broadcasting stations are either controlled by the military (Channel 5) or by the government. It is financed by the governmenty with no strings attached. It has no soaps and no advertisments. It's programming is the best of all stations, really public-minded and interesting subjects with sometimes daring programs as the one with Sulak Sivaraksa about Article 112. It is the only Thai television station I ever look at.

In the past year the military has warned Thai PBS to be 'more objective'. A reporter was suspended when she asked a group of normal ('grassroot') citizens about what they thought and felt concerning the junta.

[metisdead]

A post with an implied slur toward Thais has been removed:

11) You will not post slurs, degrading or overly negative comments directed towards Thailand, specific locations, Thai institutions such as the judicial or law enforcement system, Thai culture, Thai people or any other group on the basis of race, nationality, religion, gender or sexual orientation.

[DeepInTheForest]

Thai PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) is the only really independent public broadcasting system in Thailand. All the other public broadcasting stations are either controlled by the military (Channel 5) or by the government. It is financed by the governmenty with no strings attached. It has no soaps and no advertisments. It's programming is the best of all stations, really public-minded and interesting subjects with sometimes daring programs as the one with Sulak Sivaraksa about Article 112. It is the only Thai television station I ever look at.

In the past year the military has warned Thai PBS to be 'more objective'. A reporter was suspended when she asked a group of normal ('grassroot') citizens about what they thought and felt concerning the junta.

He who controls the media controls the discourse! Thanks, kareona, for reminding us of recent events in this succinct summary. Although it is difficult to draw conclusions at this stage, media are always highly contested in the modern state. It would be difficult not to believe there is some power politics involved. In more developed countries the same games go on as well with so-called "public" media, which by this point have often been thoroughly co-opted by private or state interests.

Edited October 10, 2015 by DeepInTheForest

[sawadee1947]

PUBLIC TELEVISION STATION

Thai PBS chief shown the door

THE NATION

Somchai

Director General Somchai axed for failing to fix problems at station; lift ratings

THE BOARD of governors of Thai PBS, the public TV station, yesterday sacked its director-general Somchai Suwanban after he failed to follow its instructions on how to improve the station's competitiveness.

In its memo to Somchai terminating his employment, the board explained that he was sacked because he had ignored its suggestions to solve the problems of Thai Public Broadcasting Service. They also said he had no plan to manage the changes or a strategy to stay competitive, according to an informed source.

The nine-member board also said Somchai repeatedly broke a regulation by approving four projects costing more than Bt50 million each without receiving the green light from the board.

The board's memo to Somchai said his employment contract was being terminated without compensation, according to a source. The memo was signed by board chairman Assoc Professor Narong Petchprasert.

Somchai yesterday threatened to take his case to the Administrative Court.

The ousted Thai PBS director-general said he had discussed with his legal adviser about taking legal action against the board for revoking his employment contract before the end of his term in October next year.

The sacking comes three years after he was hired to serve in the post and a year before his four-year term ends on October 9, 2016.

Regarding the digital TV network project, for which the board faulted him, Somchai yesterday insisted that all processes were approved by the policy committee. The project began in October 2013.

"Although there was a controversy about transparency of the project, the investigation is still underway and I am waiting to be heard. Why did the committee make a decision on this matter?" he asked.

"I strongly believe the decision was not fair or legitimate," he stressed.

A source familiar with Thai PBS said that in last year's evaluation by the board, Somchai barely passed, with a split vote by board members.

The board was unhappy that the station's rating had declined and that Somchai had failed to improve the situation, the source said.

Somchai, who was a member of the Thai PBS board previously, succeeded Thepchai Yong as the top executive of the station. Before that, Somchai headed the Thai news section at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

After assuming the top post at Thai PBS, he was criticised for lacking experience in management. His leadership was also questioned in times of crisis and over many controversies involving the public broadcaster.

The termination of Somchai's employment contract was accompanied by three of his deputies - Mongkol Lilatham, Supoj Jingjit and Wanchai Tantiwitthayaphan - also being sacked.

In its statement issued yesterday, the Thai PBS board of governors announced that Puangrat Songmuang, the station's programme director, would serve as caretaker director-general until Somchai's replacement is appointed.

The selection of a new director-general is expected to be announced next week, according to the source.

Yesterday's sacking of Somchai took place a day after Media Monitor Foundation for Media Studies, a non-profit organisation, said Thai PBS was able to respond to public needs better than other public broadcasters such as TV5 and NBT. The foundation on Thursday organised a discussion entitled "From Thai PBS to the Future of Public Broadcasting Service in Thailand".

Earlier, Thai PBS was questioned as to whether the annual budget of Bt2 billion it got from earmarked tax was spent efficiently.

Writers of the previous constitution draft had attempted to control the earmarked tax allocated to Thai PBS and some other independent agencies. The drafters argued that the earmarked tax should be curbed to prevent the emergence of new agencies, which could lead to politicians misusing tax money for populist policies.

Thai PBS, a state-owned TV station modelled after the United Kingdom's BBC, charges the equivalent of 1.5 per cent of the same base, but not exceeding Bt2 billion a year.

Source http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Thai-PBS-chief-shown-the-door-30270597.html

-- The Nation 2015-10-10

They also said he had no plan

now I'm puzzled.....is there anyone who got a plan so far....?

[arrowsdawdle]

Housecleaning?

Attitude wouldn't adjust?

[waldroj]

In most organisations around the world, senior staff should have performance targets that needed to be met as part of their ongoing contract (and on which performance bonuses are predicated). It appears that this was the case, as The Nation reports in this post, that, “A source familiar with Thai PBS said that in last year's evaluation by the board, Somchai barely passed, with a split vote by board members”.

Despite this, performance targets are usually negotiated between, and agreed to by both parties. So, I find it hard to believe he had no plan to manage the changes, or a strategy to stay competitive. However, people at his level can always become victims of political meddling if they are seen to not be following the approved party line.

In addition to performance targets, senior staff should have clearly defined financial and HR delegations. If, as alleged, he repeatedly exceeded his financial delegation (by approving four projects, each costing more than Bt50 million without board approval), then the board have every right to discipline him!

However, one has to question the real reason for his dismissal, and the incredibly short time it is going to take to find a replacement. The Nation reports, “The selection of a new director-general is expected to be announced next week”!

The Nation’s article hints at political involvement, telling us that Thai PBS was questioned as to whether the annual budget of Bt2 billion it got from ‘earmarked tax’ was spent efficiently. Oh, come on now - I’m sure their response would have been an emphatic “Certainly”!

It also seems the CDC Mark I writers had attempted to control the ‘earmarked tax’ allocated to Thai PBS to prevent the emergence of new agencies, which, in an amazing revelation, could lead to politicians misusing tax money for populist policies!!!!

Khun Somchai might best be advised to just walk away and put his dismissal down to experience unless he wants to have his attitude changed as well.

[MaeJoMTB]

It's a government take-over.

He didn't toe the party line, so he and his assistants are out.

Soon the army will have complete control of all media in Thailand.