This opening hook of "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits may be the line that UBC fans want to sing at the moment.

Since yesterday, the music channel MTV Thailand is off the UBC cable network after half a decade on the air.

Cable operator UBC-True said the change of programme had come partly because of the surging demand for Thai pop music.

In short, UBC-True seems to be claiming local viewers prefer to pay more than Bt1,000 a month to watch Thongchai McIntyre instead of Justin Timberlake.

In fact, though, this is really bad news for Western music fans as a number of radio programmes these days have already converted into a Thai music format.

Besides, the only English-speaking radio programme on FM 107 was recently turned over to Thai-speaking DJs.

I am Thai and patriotic. But English-speaking programmes can be the best way to improve your English.

And now, I'm stuck with Thai-speaking DJs who tend to mix trendy English words in what they say but can hardly complete a sentence.

Now, coming back to the UBC stuff. UBC-True says it will take out "MTV" and "VH1" and replace them with the channel "True Music" and "Ma Jung", the music channel for Thai oldie songs.

In fact, the abrupt change of programme came as a surprise as viewers were informed of the fact only a few days before by a running statement that the changes are to improve the quality of programming. In fact, MTV has been on the cable network since its original days as IBC.

MTV is not the greatest channel on earth, but the cable network will have to find a better reason to tell its viewers why they have to spend more than Bt1,000 a month to watch home-grown music videos that they can see on free-TV channels anyway.

MTV became a cult hit because it connected with its MTV generation.

These days, youngsters don't turn to MTV just to watch music videos but also to view reality shows like "The Osbournes" and "Punk'd".

But from now on, fans of MTV and VH1 in Thailand will have to subscribe to an alternative cable-TV package if they want to continue watching these two channels.

Now, it's left to the UBC-True operator.

How will it improve it programming to make its clients feel that the subscription fee is still worth paying?

Otherwise, they will continue singing the line from that Dire Straits song: I want my, I want my MTV!

Jeerawat@nationgroup.com