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Published on January 16, 2008

Under a law passed by the current government, the public television station is set to take over TITV's assets, liabilities and frequency.

But the station's employees have fiercely opposed the order signed by Public Relations Department (PRD) director-general Pramoj Rathavinij which ended TITV's broadcasts on Monday night. More than 100 yesterday called on the court to intervene.

The court will hear their appeal at 1.30pm today.

The employees called the PRD order "illegitimate" and in defiance of an injunction issued by the Administrative Court on January 7. That injunction ordered the PM's Office to ensure TITV continued broadcasting until there was a final ruling in the case or until the court ruled otherwise.

Two high-profile figures also lodged a complaint yesterday with the Administrative Court against the order to end TITV's broadcasts - Weng Tojirakarn and Prateep Ungsongtham Hata. Both were leaders in the

anti-Thaksin Shinawatra protests.

TITV was previously known as iTV, which had been under the control of Thaksin's family for many years until early 2006.

Weng and Prateep said the abrupt closure of TITV damaged their chances of being informed.

Some TITV staff also lodged a complaint with Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont.

Meanwhile the Cabinet yesterday approved the appointment of a temporary five-member policy board for the country's first public television station.

They are Narong Jaiharn, Apichart Thongyoo, Kwansuang Atibodhi, Nualnoi Trirat and Thepchai Yong.

Narong is a law lecturer at Thammasat University, Apichart is the secretary-general of the Sawasdee Foundation and also an in-dependent academic, Kwansuang is a special lecturer at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Architecture, while Nualnoi teaches at Chulalongkorn's Faculty of Economics. Thepchai is a former senior editor of Nation Multimedia Group.

The Nation