Nod to new govt PR station likely

“The broadcasting committee has not yet concluded this matter but we intend to support essential national policies,” Pakdee Manaves, deputy secretary-general of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, said yesterday. 

The NBTC has received the letter from the Prime Minister’s Office. 

The station would also air public relations campaigns aimed at deepening the government’s engagement with the public.

In the application, the government asked to use a national radio frequency to broadcast TV programmes related to key national policies. 

However, the broadcasting committee needs more details about the plan, so it is expected to ask the government within 30 days explaining how to acquire a free-to-air digital-TV licence. 

According to broadcasting rules, the NBTC has reserved 12 of the 48 digital-TV licences for public service, of which four have been granted to public stations in this category.

 

National security 

They are the Army’s TV5 for national-security purposes, the Public Relations Department’s NBT, Thai Public Broadcasting Service, and Thai Parliament Television Station. 

The broadcasting regulator has also reserved eight spectrum slots for other purposes, such as a public channel for democratic promotion, under the categories for public broadcasting service.

The NBTC will hold a “beauty contest” bid for each four-year TV licence. 

Pakdee suggested that in this case, the request could be made for Category 3, which is related to government communications. 

However, Supinya Klangnarong, a vocal member of the broadcasting committee, said that instead of acquiring the digital-TV licence for public purpose, there were other media the Cabinet could use to communicate and promote its key policies to the people. 

For example, the government can use its existing public TV networks such as NBT and Thai Parliament TV or coordinate with commercial free-to-air TV stations to help support its PR blitzes.