• 
• 

Published on August 13, 2007

It seems that some of our less scrutable cable TV providers subscribe to True and steal the signal to beam it across the border.

"What I've learnt is that they keep one channel open for documentary programmes, and as soon as a football match starts, they switch over," says True's discontented content tsar Attaphon Na Bangxang.

"There's no advertising or advance notice, but the people receiving the signal always seem to know that, at a particular time, there'll be semi-live football match on that particular channel."

Attaphon was fuming over the piracy problem while having coffee the other day at a five-star hotel right here in Thailand.

"They were showing the Tour de France in the hotel lounge, so I watched for a while. Then I noticed that there was no True logo on the screen - it was a direct satellite transmission from a cable operator in Malaysia.

"This is a kind of violation of broadcasting rights too, because we have the exclusive right to show the Tour de France in Thailand."

So, contrary to popular belief, True doesn't have a monopoly on cable TV at all!