An old channel gives way to the new

Published on January 26, 2008

Before the permanent death of TITV at midnight on January 14, I made it a habit of watching the midday news programmes of Channel 3 and TITV. That's a fairly normal routine for journalists who want to get an idea of what's happened in the morning, as it helps us develop the stories that we present to our newspaper readers the next day.

TITV did a good job of updating news, mainly because the one-hour programming allowed its reporters adequate scope for their stories. In a way, their reports were straight news, as opposed to the mix of news and commentary scope offered by Visarn Dilokvanich on Channel 3.

Earlier this month, I was surprised to see former TITV news anchors Thira Thanya-anantphol and Saisawan Khayanying on Channel 3. Some viewers may condemn them, as well as Kitti Singhapat and others, for having jumped ship before it sank.

On the other hand, you can't really blame them for seeking to survive. Hand me a list of people who would sacrifice their families to maintain their ideals, and my guess is that the list would be really short.

With their straight news reporting, Thira and Saiswan complement Visarn perfectly, allowing the Channel 3 host to focus on his comments and interviews of special guests.

Prior to January 14, it was a plus for fans to be able to watch Channel 3 at 11am and then tune in to TITV at noon. It is worth noting here that despite the earlier time slot, Channel 3 did not always cover all the news.

But since TITV became TPBS, I've been living a much quieter life. Channel 3 is now my only choice.

Tune into TPBS at noon and you'll find a natural science programme. On the day I wrote this column, I met Little Joey, a new-born kangaroo in Australia.

Joey was cute enough, jumping along while the commentators cheerfully guided viewers through its movements.

Now, if I were a housewife and stayed at home all day, I'd probably enjoy watching Joey and other creatures on the nature channel.

But come next Friday, when the new programming timetable is ready, TPBS will have less time to air such lovely documentaries. Then, we will enjoy more news from TPBS during its six-hour trial run.

by e-nang

Comments can be sent to e_nang@yahoo.com.

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