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Published on November 1, 2007

Akapol Sorasuchart, a minority member of the bill drafting committee, tried but failed to convince the majority of the NLA to support his proposal to convert the state-controlled Channel 11 into a public-service television instead of TITV.

Akapol proposed removing Article 55 of the bill, which would force a transfer of TITV property to a new public entity to be called Thai Public Broadcast Service (TPBS).

He argued that Channel 11 was more suited, as it is not making any money now, while TITV, before the government takeover, had been making over a billion baht per year and should thus be kept as a state-owned profit-making enterprise.

"It would save taxpayers' money," said Akapol, referring to the Bt2 billion a year fund set aside from "sin taxes" from alcohol and tobacco that will be channel to the new station under the bill.

He said the on-going legal feud between the state and executives of iTV, before it was renamed TITV and taken over by the state, could be costly if the state loses the case.

"This bill is about creating a public TV, not a bill converting TITV into a public station. I don't want anyone to capitalise on the opportunity to benefit any particular party," he said, in reference to what he sees as a potentially costly and wrong decision by the junta-appointed government to take over iTV and rename it TITV.

Akapol hit back at the bill drafting committee chairman Somkiat Tangkitvanich for casting doubt on his integrity and motive behind his move, as reported by The Nation yesterday and said he was innocent and wanted to see a public TV service materialise too.

PM's Office Minister Khunying Dhipavadee Meksawan defended the conversion of TITV into public television, saying Channel 11 was not really available because the government still needed a TV channel to broadcast religious and royal affairs content. "That work will always be there," she told the assembly.

Drafting committee

member Khunying Supatra Masadit, a former PM's Office minister admitted she did not think Channel 11 was suited for the task, as it was so used to being used by successive governments as a "propaganda tool".

"Politics interferes [with Channel 11] ... The government uses the TV as a tool to produce propaganda. Whatever wrong a government does, [Channel 11] says it's good."

She was supported by Vishnu Krue-ngam, a former deputy prime minister. "If you take Channel 11 away, [the govern-ment] will set up Channel 12 or 13."

Paisarn Peuchmongkol said TITV, when it was iTV, was notorious for its pro-Thaksin Shinawatra bias.

"This is dangerous for our constitutional order," he said.

The junta-appointed government will soon set up a five-person committee to reconsider the suitability of all TITV staff, casting doubt as to how independent the new station will be.

Pravit Rojanaphruk

 The Nation