From iTV to TITV to TPBS

In the newsroom, nobody expected the screen to go dark. But we thought that might happen last March when the iTV concession was revoked and its assets transferred to the state. As iTV was in the process of being transformed to TITV, nobody was sure who would remain there to operate the channel or who would control it. Amid all this commotion, the PM's Office agreed to let the channel continue airing programmes despite the revocation of the concession.

But now, people have known for some time that TITV will be transformed to a public station and they don't expect such a fuss.

There has been a proper arrangement for the transformation, which is backed by a law enforced yesterday. A committee was set up to oversee the transformation. And the Cabinet is expected to review and approve the five-person committee who will take control of TPBS for six months before a permanent nine-person committee is formed.

According to a source on the committee, the Public Relations Department was told a few months ago to start buying documentaries that would be aired immediately after the transformation was complete.

A week before the governing law came into effect yesterday, the new programming was ready so that people at TITV knew how to behave if they wanted to stay on.

And some people must have known about the existence of a website dedicated to the station's creation: http://www.thaipbs.or.th.

The website contains everything you want to know about the law and the transformation process.

In a meeting with reporters at Government House yesterday, Chulayuth Hiranyawasit, permanent secretary of the PM's Office, had answers for every question.

He anticipated no problem despite court disputes. On the number of employees, who could be cut by half, Chulayuth also said there would be no problem. While some technical staff will stay, staff at other departments would be handled on a case-by-case basis.

On the question of whether he was afraid that staff would stage a protest, Chulayuth expected no such thing. The transformation has been planned for some time and everybody has a clear picture, he said.

It seems the only thing he didn't know was the names of the five individuals to take charge of the transformation. Now this was weird. Anyone who turned on their TV to Channel 3 at noon could see all five names displayed. Probably, the anchor flexed his muscles really hard to get the names one hour after Chulayuth's "Meet the Press" session.

achara_d@nationgroup.com

The Nation