INDEPENDENT TELEVISION / HEARINGS

Activists, businessmen split over TITV future

Anucha Charoenpo

Activists and media businessmen were divided yesterday over the future of Thailand Independent Television, controlled by the Public Relations Department.

After taking input from other provinces, public hearings on the future of TITV entered their last leg in Bangkok yesterday.

Prime Minister's Office Minister Dhipavadee Meksawan said the committee set up to listen to opinions on the future of the station will hold talks on Tuesday before reporting its conclusions to cabinet, which will then make a decision.

The government took control of iTV, now called TITV, after the operator failed to pay concession fees and fines plus interest last month. ITV was controlled by Shin Corp before the takeover by the PRD.

Civic organisations and media schools agreed that TITV should be transformed into a public television network.

"Our country has never had such a television station before. Existing television stations, mostly under the influence of state authorities and capitalists, have never given the public factual information," said Jon Ungpakorn, a former Bangkok senator and social campaigner.

TITV should become the country's first public television station, he said.

Mr Jon said television stations had never comprehensively reported on human rights violations in the deep South, corruption in government and other controversial issues affecting society such as free trade agreement policies.

Jandee Namvicha, representing child worker rights groups, said few programmes were specially produced for the underprivileged. Most were entertainment and game shows.

Supatra Nakhaphiew, from a network for HiV/Aids infected people, said TITV can be used as a communication channel for everyone. "It should not be used as a mouthpiece for powerful figures as in the past," she said.

But representatives from the media industry disagreed with calls to turn it into a public television station which would be wholly-state owned.

Jamnan Siritan, president of JSL, said she was satisfied with iTV's programming before it was transferred to the PRD, and believed the station had worked properly.

She asked the government to consider the station's future carefully.

The committee has two options. If it becomes public television, it must really be free of politics with more news than entertainment programmes.

It cannot make profits from advertising but can receive financial support from public donations, sin taxes and funding from the Thailand Health Promotion Foundation.

If it stays as a "free television" channel, 51% of the shares can be controlled by individuals, while the rest is distributed to the public sector and non-governmental organisations working for social and human development.

The idea is to ensure that the station will not come under political and business influence.

Bangkok Post

Friday April 06, 2007