Well-known television producer Traipop Limprapat said the government had not allocated any budget to TITV since taking control of iTV, as the station was formerly known, on March 7 and that all staff, numbering about 1,000, had performed their jobs at no salary for almost two months.

"All TITV junior staff with monthly salaries of less than Bt10,000 are now under pressure, because they have no money to support their families, especially their children, who need money for the back-to-school season," said Traipop, CEO of Born and Associates.

TITV's ad revenues have dropped more than 50 per cent already as agencies question its future when it is turned into a public station and loses its commercial status, he said.

About Bt5 million of the fund will be used to pay wages to the 400-500 junior workers, while the rest will be used for working capital. Operating staff are necessary to run the station.

"We can't air our programmes if we don't have personnel to feed tapes or messengers to deliver tapes. Now they're facing hard times, because their children are going back to school. They need money for uniforms and tuition," he said.

With the fund, the station hopes to keep going for about another week. Traipop said the government had committed itself to start supporting TITV next week. It was said that government money was sitting somewhere for TITV staff, but red tape was preventing authorities from accessing it.

Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn

The Nation