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Published on January 13, 2008

Led by Somchai Sawaengkarn, the group alleges Thaksin has a

three-point plan to retake TITV.

It said the former prime minister wants a change in personnel of the nine-person committee overseeing the move to a public television station.

Step two is to remove the caretaker station director and the final step is to amend the Public Television Act.

The Administrative Court has ordered an injunction halting the removal of the station's director by the junta-appointed administration.

Staff said the removal order, made just before the December election, was unjust and constituted an act of political interference.

They said the government censored the broadcast of an interview with Thaksin in Hong Kong.

News-media professionals in the NLA have come under attack by TITV staff for alleged conflict of interest because they will benefit when the station becomes a public broadcaster.

Somchai denied this. "Allegations that NLA members will divide up the cake that is TITV are groundless and reflect a lack of journalistic ethics on the part of the media professionals and suggests they ignore national interests and care only about themselves.

"Check who has shares in production companies. These people recognise the [pro-Thaksin] People Power Party is about to form a government and will annul the Public Television Act.

"When that day comes, I for one will not simply watch but will expose the truth to society."

News-media expert Euajit Virojtrairat was approached to sit on the TITV committee. She has been accused of bias and exploiting the situation by TITV staff.

She has since rejected the committee offer.

Soon after the election, Euajit, who heads the non-governmental organisation Media Monitor, was criticised for her statement saying election coverage by all state-controlled stations was "impartial".

She said TITV staff were trying to prevent the birth of public television. She urged them to stop thinking of the station as their own property.

She denied having any interest in TITV's new programming.

"TITV staff who claim to be fighting for people's rights and liberties should look and see what the majority of society wants.

It's best if TITV uses the rights and liberty they hold dear in a proper way and not just to legitimise themselves," she said.

Sathien  Viriyapanpongsa

The Nation