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Published on January 16, 2008

Thai Public Broad-casting Service will go to air on February 1 with mainly news and hopes to complete 60-70 per cent of its programming by March 1.

"This is a new-born media organisation," said Kwansuang Atibodhi, a former architecture lecturer at Chulalongkorn University and chairman of the five-member interim board appointed yesterday by the Cabinet.

The station would first need to recruit a news crew, he said. It would start taking applications today - from TITV staff or outsiders - at the Public Relations Department's office in Phaholyothin Soi Aree until Saturday.

As the number would depend on news content, the board would try to finalise the news programming block as soon as possible.

The board was formed just hours after TITV was closed down, leaving over 800 employees and programme producers in the dark about their immediate future.

TITV staff yesterday petitioned the Central Adminis-trative Court for an injunction against the sudden stoppage. The court said the two parties in the TITV case would be invited to explain their positions today.

The Thai Broadcast Journalists Association also issued a statement urging

the TPBS board to ensure fairness for TTIV staff and campaign for a better understanding of public TV concepts.

Traiphop Limpraphat, a television host and head of Born and Associates, a major supplier of shows to TITV, said he and other producers were considering taking legal action against the Public Relations Department for the abrupt blackout of TITV. When the channel was cut, his programme was still on the air. He said the department broke contracts despite telling them TITV would carry on until March.

"With that notice from the department, some of us kept producing programmes for February. That cost us a bundle of money," he said.

Since TITV programmes were pulled at midnight on Monday, the new TPBS station has been running documentaries - mostly on royal activities, particularly those of HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana - provided from the department's broadcasting network.

Joining Kwansuang on the board were Apichart Thongyou, Narong Jaiharn, Nualnoi Trirat and Thepchai Yong, the former group editor of Nation Multimedia Group. Thepchai is the acting president of TPBS.

At their first press conference, the board members committed themselves to transparency in screening new recruits, including for the news editorial team, as well as programmes submitted by independent producers.

Under the Thai Public Broadcasting Act, the board can stay in office for only six months until the establishment of a permanent nine-member board through selections from various groups.

"We will start with news programmes, one of the most important content for a public TV station," Kwansuang said.

Newly hired staff would be considered temporary until they passed the three-three evaluation process.

The board expected that other worthy programmes, such as documentaries, social and cultural features as well as educational content for kids would be added to highlight TPBS's image as a public service station.

"TPBS has been created to balance media power in society, against those owned by the public and private sectors. The new public TV station will be run without advertising or commercial interest, but with the full involvement of people in society for their maximum benefit," Kwansuang said.

The new station will be supported by 1.5 per cent of excise taxes collected on "sin" products such as liquor and cigarettes, or not more than Bt2 billion annually. It will also accept sponsorship from companies.

Some ministers reportedly showed concern over the appointment of Thepchai and Apichart to the board, fearing they could ignite a new political controversy.

PM's Office Minister Thipawadee Meksawan defended Thepchai, saying he brought extensive knowledge in the broadcasting industry and is free of conflicts of interest. She said Apichart, an independent academic, had not been mixed up with any political movements since 2005.

All the board members except Thepchai were academics or social workers.

Thepchai told reporters he had accepted the Nation Multimedia Group's early retirement programme and would sell his 100,000 shares in the company soon.

"I no longer belong to Nation Group and have no relationship with the media company," he said.

"I joined the public TV station not on behalf of the Nation, but for my own personal interest. I would like to be involved right in the beginning to lay down a strong foundation for ideal TV for public services. I would like to take this opportunity to encourage Thailand to have a TV station which society can rely on," he said.

Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn

The Nation