THAILAND: Visanu lets iTV have its way

The government has given in to Independent Television (iTV) by agreeing to the channel's prime-time segment changes augmenting entertainment content at the expense of news programmes

Bangkok Post
Wednesday, March 31, 2004

By Ampa Santimathaneedol Supawadee Susanpoolthong

The government has given in to Independent Television (iTV) by agreeing to the channel's prime-time segment changes augmenting entertainment content at the expense of news programmes.

The committee overseeing compliance with the joint government-private sector law, yesterday decided unanimously to give iTV the all-clear to go ahead with the changes from April 1, which will see its prime time stretched by 2.5 hours.

Critics lambasted the government's decision as an affront to broadcast independence, a principle on which iTV had been founded.

The station was established in the aftermath of the 1992 Black May incident to provide constructive, balanced and unpoliticised news programmes as a viewing alternative to some other channels heavy in entertainment and soap operas.

A contractual tussle erupted after iTV accused the government of breach of agreement. It argued that the government had allowed Channel 11 to run commercials which constituted unfair competition.

The committee, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Visanu Krue-ngarm, spent five hours ironing out contractual differences concerning the prime-time review.

Niwatthamrong Bunsongpaisarn, iTV managing director, attended the meeting, as well as representatives of the Finance Ministry, the Attorney-General's Office, the Public Relations Department, and the National Economic and Social Development Board.

Mr Visanu said from now on, the station's prime-time slot would be from 6pm-11pm instead of 7pm-9.30pm as in the past.

Mr Visanu said, however, that the green light would be granted on condition Channel 11 and other state-run stations freely carry advertisements.

iTV came under fire for pushing its programme review in violation of Item 11 in the broadcast concession requiring the prime-time slot to maintain the news to entertainment ratio at 70:30. The readjustment would alter the segment content to 50:50.

iTV, however, insisted the new slot still met the 70:30 restriction.

Observers said the station was able to do so only after "stretching" the prime time by another 2.5 hours. Mr Visanu explained the extension was justifiable under the cabinet resolution of Nov 4 last year, which permitted all broadcast channels to air programmes fit for enjoyment of families and children from 6pm-10pm.

The deputy premier oversees the PM's Office, which is the contractual partner of iTV, whose major shareholder is Shin Corporation of which Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's family is the major shareholder.

Mr Visanu said the "trade-off" with iTV would make state-owned broadcast stations more flexible in delivering government public relations programmes with a reasonable amount of permissible advertisements.

A highly-placed source familiar with the negotiation denounced the Visanu committee's decision as playing into iTV's hands. The source noted iTV had announced its programme change well in advance, as though certain of a favourable decision.

The longer prime time would likely generate billions of baht more for the station. "And the government pretends to be blind to the windfall dropped into iTV's pockets," the source said, adding the station's claim of maintaining the 70:30 content ratio was misleading. Entertainment and game shows would occupy iTV's slot from 8pm onward, beating other channels which would still be airing news at that time.

Mr Visanu has appointed a sub-panel to look into whether iTV's "stretched" prime time would be in breach of its contract. He would also push to overturn an arbitration panel's ruling that slashed iTV's concession fee. This issue would be contested in the Administrative Court.

Date Posted: 3/31/2004