The Nation Channel’s news anchors are portrayed in this cartoon stressing their dedication to bringing new programmes to viewers under the slogan “In the news field, we’re the real player”.

Under the slogan "In the news field, we're the real player", the company will focus on the use of more than 600 members of its quality editorial team to produce in-depth news analyses and other news-related programmes that go beyond simply reading the news from newspapers.

"Different from the last government, which had an unfair strategy for media control over the last five or six years, this new interim government has opened up a policy of any kind of quality programmes appearing on television and in other mass media. It's a golden era for such an independent station, which is able to supply quality news contents as an alternative for particular viewers," said Nation Broadcasting president Adisak Limprungpatanakij.

"We want to inform the public we're the real player in the news field and that news and documentary content is our most skilled area," said Adisak, adding that the company could double the time slots for commercials appearing on free-TV channels to more than 150 minutes per month, due to an increased supply of television programmes.

Nation Broadcasting currently produces programmes to free-TV channels. These include "Siam Chao Nee" (Siam This Morning) on Channel 5; and "e-Life e-Business Extreme", "Khao Khon Kon Khao" (News People Discuss the News), "Jut Chanuan Kham Kit" (Detonate Your Thinking) and "Cheep Pa Jon Lok" (World Beat), all on Channel 9.

Adisak said the company's own television channel - Nation Channel - currently broadcasts on Channel 1 of Tai TV Broadcasting (TTV) digital television network and through more than 160 local cable-TV operators, covering more than 5 million viewers in 1 million households throughout the Kingdom.

"Almost 70 per cent of our Nation Channel programme content is general news and 20 per cent business news. The remaining 10 per cent is variety programmes. About 70 per cent of viewers are educated people with bachelor's degrees and 17 per cent with master's degrees," said Adisak, adding that almost 50 per cent of viewers of the Nation Channel were business entrepreneurs and 17 per cent office staff. About 40 per cent of viewers are aged 31-40 and 37 per cent aged 20-30.

Adisak said it had already been proved that entertainment programmes alone could not deliver sustainable growth for free-TV stations in the long term. But news and documentary programmes can be a new alternative.

"During this time of economic and political uncertainty in particular, local viewers show higher interest in updating themselves each day by accessing news and documentary information from television and other media," he said.

He said Nation Broadcasting was negotiating with Modernine TV (Channel 9) on a Thai documentary project set to join with other independent programme producers, including TV Burapa, JSL and Panorama. Under this cooperation, a series of interesting Thai documentaries would be produced by independent producers for Channel 9 and for export. The move is also to replace foreign documentaries imported by the station.

"We're interested in producing a documentary on the Chao Phya, because the river is quite significant and part of the Thai way of life, from farmers to millionaires. A documentary titled 'Thaksin's Final Chapter' has already been produced by the Nation Channel and is currently being edited. It will be exhibited at MIP TV, an international fair for television productions to be held in Cannes this April," said Adisak.

Suphanee Dechaburananon, deputy chairman and director of trading and strategy at media agency Group M, said many corporate customers had currently purchased time slots for their television commercials by looking at the ratings surveyed by research agencies.

"It is the duty of all stakeholders in the television industry to make good news and documentary programmes and educate viewers to turn their interest towards such quality programming," she said.

Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn

The Nation