Digital TV operators can return their licenses to NBTC

BANGKOK: Digital TV operators who do not want to carry on with their business can return their licenses to the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission without having to pay the rest of their auction fees.

However, the first and second instalments of auction fees which were already paid to the NBTC by the operators will go to the state coffers and cannot be returned.

The above is an agreement reached at a meeting on Friday between the NBTC and representatives of 24 digital TV operators after some operators have announced that they cannot afford to pay the remaining auction fees because they are operating at loss.

It was also agreed at the meeting that the returned licenses would not be put on auction again because currently there are more than enough operating licenses so that the remaining operators have a better chance to survive.

NBTC secretary-general Thakorn Tanthasit said the commission would report to the NBTC board next Wednesday about the result of the meeting on Friday and would also report to the National Council for Peace and Order for acknowledgement.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/149777

-- Thai PBS 2016-01-06

Reasonable solution.

Not very typical of the current NBTC. The junta must not have injected itself into the issue.