Analogue Channel 3 Faces Ouster from Pay TV Plans 20 May 2014 at 00:36

Analogue Channel 3 faces ouster from pay TV plans 20 May 2014 at 00:36

Pay TV subscribers of TrueVisions and CTH may be unable to watch analogue Channel 3 from next Monday, and the channel's absence will hurt advertisers whose commercials will not be seen by their target audience.

TrueVisions and CTH may be forced to drop analogue Channel 3 to comply with rules governing the switch to digital TV. SURAPOL PROMSAKA NA SAKOLNAKORN The two pay TV operators may be forced by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to drop analogue Channel 3, although neither would confirm whether they actually planned to stop broadcasting the channel on their platforms as required by the regulator.

An amendment of the must-carry rule clarifies that the commercial analogue free-TV operators (Channels 3, 7 and 9) must end their simulcast of digital and analogue on May 26.

The broadcasters of Channels 7 and 9 decided to migrate their channels to broadcast digitally. But BEC World Plc, operator of Channel 3, said it would continue its analogue channel alongside three new digital channels.

Col Natee Sukonrat, chairman of the NBTC's broadcasting committee, said Channel 3 could continue broadcasting its analogue signal in the non-frequency and free-view systems but would not be protected by the must-carry rule any more.

As a result, any TV platform or set-top box could drop Channel 3 from its line-up.

Normally, Channel 3 is allowed 12 minutes an hour of advertising airtime as a free station. But if it wants to be carried on the pay TV platform, it will be treated like a pay TV channel and its ad airtime slashed to six minutes an hour.

"A good option for analogue Channel 3 is to go on the pay TV platform," Col Natee said. "It must ask the NBTC to grant it a pay TV channel licence."

At present, only two operators have declared themselves pay TV operators — TrueVisions and CTH. GMM Z just started a pay TV service.

Channel 3 is allowed to air its programmes in the analogue system until 2020, when its concession with MCOT Plc expires.

Under the transitory provisions of the Broadcasting Act, Channel 3 was granted three licences — an analogue frequency use licence, an analogue TV network licence and a channel licence.

Nattapon Lertsrimongkol, head of strategy and innovation at IPG Mediabrands, said the NBTC's enforcement might not affect TV viewers very much.

Most TrueVisions and CTH subscribers have high purchasing power and various options to find a way to watch Channel 3, he said.

"I still believe the number of Channel 3 analogue viewers may not change significantly," Mr Nattapon said.

TrueVisions has 2.4 million subscribers, while CTH has 500,000 and local cable operators in the CTH network have 2 million. These subscribers represent 20% of the 22 million households nationwide.

BEC World in a press release said it would try to broadcast in all formats.