TV Thai to tap work of small producers with Bt100m budget

The new TV Thai logo was also introduced, while reiterating its commitment to be an independent public-service TV channel, providing unbiased and accurate news and information.

Station director Thepchai Yong said the budget would bring about diversified content as there are many small independent producers who have great creative ideas but lack the stage to show off their works. Eligible producers would be those whose business is less than one year old and they must be independent of any major production houses.

"Accessing new diversified contents produced by small independent producers will help promote greater variety and dimension in terms of thoughts and ideas. TV Thai itself will be more public in the area of accessibility by the general public," said Thepchai.

Thepchai said the public TV station will maintain the ratio of content at about 40 per cent news, and 30 per cent each of documentaries and analysis, and non-news and informative-content programmes.

Thai TV is one of two channels which has seen several changes in the past two years, the other being NBT, formerly Channel 11. While Thai TV was seized from concessionaire ITV, NBT has been subjected to political intervention.

The Abhisit government is considering transforming NBT into an independent public organisation, to ensure independence from political intervention, according to PM's Office Minister Sathit Wongnongtaey. Its logo will also be changed while the strategy will be announced by February.

NBT, owned by the Public Relations Department, has been criticised for serving as a government tool against its opponents.

Sathit said the transformation of NBT will be part of the Abhisit government's policy in supervising media to ensure the media are not political tools of any party. He noted that NBT, as a state-owned station, should be a medium to create good understanding between the government and the public.

"I raised this idea with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and he agreed to the reform. Becoming a public organisation could be a way to ensure its independence," he said.

Somkiat Tangkijvanich of the Thailand Development Research Institute, backed the transformation, saying: "NBT previously saw interference by the former government. I would like to see this TV station as unbiased in favour of any political view. It should be a stage for people to voice their ideas and opinions," he said.

Sathit also stressed that this government would not interfere with MCOT, the operator of ModernNine TV station, since it is listed.

"By law, the government cannot interfere in an organisation by removing some people. But we are supervisors, for example, we can oversee the selection of the new president of MCOT so that the process should be transparent," he said.

He added the government would review the draft Frequency Allocation Act. He suggested the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission should get through the selection procedure rather than the appointment.