NBT: We interrupt this broadcast to give you trash

Now, he says he is setting up a panel of academics and media experts to seriously look into that reform platform. There is perhaps a glimmer of light at the end of the dark tunnel.

But don't bank on it. Politicians tend to equate "reform" with "political convenience". It wasn't too long ago that Samak Sundaravej turned Channel 11 into NBT (National Broadcasting of Thailand) and declared it an "independent television channel, run by professionals".

Of course, they couldn't hoodwink anybody. It was a flop from Day One. News was not only slanted, it was meant to serve as a fortress against any political opponents. With Satit's predecessor Jakrapob Penkair in charge, the station promptly became a machine for Samak's political witch-hunt.

The sinister exploitation of this state-run television station did not end there. Alongside the political manipulation was the insidious abuse of the tax-payers' media outlet for narrow business gains for influential politicians.

Satit himself, while serving as the "shadow" minister for media affairs, led the assault against the "shady deals" granted by the Public Relations Department to a company known as Digital Media, which had won the rights to nine hours of news slots on NBT.

Opposition MPs, including key members of the current Cabinet, hurled accusations that Newin Chidchob, then close to former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, was in fact the "influence" behind Channel 11. He has not denied his alleged connection with the firm that was, in effect, the only private company to obtain such an overwhelming presence on an official television station.

In fact, Satit led the assault at the time by submitting a well-documented motion to the National Counter-Corruption Commission for a high-level investigation into those suspicions.

Today, Newin is on the other side of the fence. The former political rival has turned ally. But that doesn't change the fact that NBT is still there and a good part of the news slots there are still controlled by the same private outlet.

If Satit is serious about overhauling Channel 11, how is he going to deal with the tainted legacy there?

Will the new "independent" panel of experts to be appointed by the Abhisit government be given sufficient assurance that their recommendations won't be sidelined in favour of political compromise and reciprocity between the Democrats and their coalition partners?

Satit has given some indications of the shape of things to come at Channel 11. He suggested last week that 50 per cent of the content would become "public space" for quality producers and the private sector "who want to express constructive ideas".

The other half of the time slots will be allocated to "the government's public relations to create a better understanding between the government and the people".

That, of course, is still quite a murky picture of how Channel 11 will really serve the public interest. The minister also said that it would not be another public service broadcasting station like TPBS, but will be more like a "national TV station". What that means remains a mystery.

In other words, the government seems bent on continuing its control over this media outlet - which means that political considerations and not professional judgements or the public interest will necessarily determine the content.

Unless and until politicians give up their intentions, whether it's made public or part of the hidden agenda, any pledge to launch a reform of state-owned media will be nothing more than lip service.

Can we expect this government to do things differently?

No, not until we see some real action and not merely empty promises.

(Share your views in my blog at http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/|ThaiTalk.)