iTV Plc, the privately owned free-television station, yesterday announced its first synergy project, with three major television stations in the Mekong Basin Community.

The four broadcasters - iTV, TV5 from Cambodia, Laonational Television from Laos, and Ho Chi Minh City Television (HTV) from Vietnam - will exchange news footage, information and programmes to serve a combined audience of 150 million in the Mekong region.

All four parties also plan to create a regional news-reporting network and produce programmes that create unity and cross-cultural understanding within the region.

Songsak Premsuk, managing director of iTV, said Thailand gathered news and information from many international sources throughout the world but the Kingdom still lacked such input from neighbours in the Mekong region.

"We would like to give more significance to news and information occurring in neighbouring countries in the Mekong Basin Community, which will play a more important part in the regional economy in the near future," said Songsak.

"The synergy will strengthen iTV's news and other programming content," he said. "iTV, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary this year, will focus on a standpoint of being not only a TV station that offers news and entertainment, but also a television station for a better society."

 He added that the synergy would start from the exchange of hard news occurring in the four member countries related to economics, social and cultural issues. iTV itself will broadcast these news stories during its "Evening News" and "Hot News" programmes. But there will be no political issues involved in the news-exchange programme.

"The interchange of news and information of the Mekong Basin Community was initiated from the viewpoint that even though all the countries in the Mekong Basin - Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand - have similar cultures and lifestyles and do have some cross-culture exchange programmes, in reality the people in these countries are not well informed of what is going on in neighbouring countries, each of which has its own identity," said Songsak.

"This project will reflect more understanding among countries in the Mekong Basin and also create harmony by giving more information to strengthen the relationships between the people in the region."

Ma Dieu Cuong, vice president of HTV, said cooperation had been agreed for the exchange of cultural, economic and social issues, but no political issues.

"If this programming is introduced, it will benefit not only the Vietnamese people, but also other viewers in Thailand, Cambodia and Laos who will have mutual understanding on culture, social and economic matters. And as neighbouring countries, we can build friendships together," said Cuong.

Songsak said the synergy among the four major television stations would exchange news, documentaries and programmes about sports, tourism, culture, entertainment and issues of the latest public interest.

The cooperation will also include an exchange of experience, know-how, technology and the training of news staff.

Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn

The Nation