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Published on March 29, 2008

BEC World (BEC), the operator of TV Channel 3, will raise the advertising fee for its pre-drama slots by 10 per cent after May 1, to cope with higher costs.

The new fee will be Bt330,000 per minute, from Bt290,000, said vice president Chatchai Thiamtong.

In February, BEC adjusted its ad fees for the drama slots from Bt420,000 per minute to Bt450,000.

According to Chatchai, Channel 3's ad revenue in 2007 was up 12.7 per cent on year, accounting for 25 per cent of total TV ad spending of Bt53.48 billion. Channel 7 controlled the largest chunk, 27 per cent.

Total ad spending last year was Bt92 billion. The rest were ads on other media such as newspaper, magazine, radio, cinema and outdoors.

BEC's 2007 net earnings were up 37 per cent on year to Bt2.25 billion. Brokerage houses expected continued financial improvement at BEC, as in the first two months it received huge revenue from prime-time ads, despite the low season and mourning for the recent passing of HRH Galyani Vadhana.

KGI's research said BEC's prime time ads totalled 679 minutes, up 21.4 per cent on year from 559 minutes in 2006. This is the highest since 2005 and a sign of continued strong growth in 2008.

The company's full-year 2007 ad revenue was up 15 per cent on year, against a 14.5 per cent drop in sales and administrative costs.

Meanwhile, Channel 5 also unveiled impressive ad revenue in the first half, with a 10-per-cent annualised revenue increase, boosted by the scandal involving its hit series "Songkram Nang Fa" or "The Air Hostess War".

AJB Nielsen Media Research (Thailand) noted that the channel had a 21-per-cent share of the advertising market in the first two months, a 1-per-cent rise compared with the year before.

Channel 5 is now third in terms of market share after Channel 7, with Channel 3 in the top spot.

Royal Thai Army Television chief General Kittitas Bumnejpan said yesterday that the station's airtime revenue in the first quarter was Bt330 million, compared with Bt300 million in the same period a year earlier.

Fees from Thai TV Global Network cable television also helped drive the increase.

He said the station did not plan to change its TV programming schedules in April though a minor change could be introduced in

July.

Producers (most of whom were formerly at TITV) have approached the broadcaster to produce at least 100 new programmes for the channel.

Sasithorn Ongdee

The Nation