Thai TV set to lose digital licences


Details

Rebecca Hawkes

| 05 February 2016




Struggling Thai TV Company is facing closure of its digital channels Loca and Thai TV News over persistent non-payment of its operating licence fees.



The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) suspended the channels’ licences for 90 days on 1 December 2015 after the broadcaster repeatedly failed to pay its second licence instalment, due in May 2015.

Children’s channel Loca and Thai TV News have been off air since this date, awaiting the payment of THB288 million (US$8.1 million) plus 7.5% interest, reports the Bangkok Post.

The NBTC’s broadcasting committee will now decide whether to revoke the licences for the two channels after offering the cash-strapped company many chances to resolve the issue, it told the newspaper.

In July 2015, the NBTC gave Thai TV Company three months to find business partners to shore up its digital TV operations, following an additional hearing at the Central Administrative Court.

Speaking at the time, Pantipa Sakulchai, chairwoman, Thai TV said: “If we can't find business partners within the given period, we still stick to our intention to quit the digital TV business”.

Thai TV Company faces a reported THB300 million ($8.44 million) in losses from running the two channels.