Good taste programmes for Thais

Wilasinee Phiphitkul Adulyanon is a member of the committee on state media reform, and is on a committee for safe and creative media that gives advice to the government on how to reform media in Thailand. She believes that unless viewers have the chance of exposure to good quality programmes, they will never know what they really want.

She said audiences are surrounded with stimulation of the emotions. News talk programmes, for example, increase people's interest in current affairs.

But they blow issues out of proportion and play on viewers' feelings while strengthening consumerism, Wilasinee said. She is also a director of advocacy and social marketing section of the Thai Health Promotion Foundation.

As long as audiences are bombarded with marketing-led programmes, they are not likely to have enough immunity from poor quality, she said.

Thailand lacks authorised media regulators, although they are provided for in the Constitution.

The processes of legislating for media-related laws have a long way to go, and it could take at least a year and a half for an organisation, such as the national broadcasting and telecommunication commission, to get in shape as media regulator. However, interested committees need to prepare the best proposals for the government to implement as media reform, realising that any proposed laws are likely be amended on many points.

The laws need to keep the balance between regulation and the respect for media freedom.

"During the era of the National Legislative Assembly, media regulations were tougher. Producers said consumers could make their own judgements. But we have to be careful because they say this to protect their own interests," she said.

Children are the group that deserves protection, especially as television programmes now contain many forms of advertising, she said.

"Today the proportion of programmes for the young, and timing of the programmes, are not suitable for children. Studies in 2008 showed children's programmes were 5.48 per cent of all the television programming on the six free-TV channels. They represented 0.8 per cent of radio programmes on Bangkok's 40 FM stations, and 1.86 per cent of radio programming aired through Bangkok's 36 AM stations," she said.

Sales of children's snacks in Thailand total over Bt1 billion each year, she said.

While the structure of ownership takes a large part in the contents, a favourable media model would allocate a proportion of programming to subjects such as public interest, commercial and civic programmes.

"If (producers) choose to be commercial media producers, they must engage in fair competition and have good standards," she said, criticising the monopoly of major cable television operators.

The state would be advised to take three levels of control, she said. Upon licensing, it might issue conditions such as proportion of types of programming as well as clear rules that cannot be bent. It would allow co-regulations for all types of private and state-run media. Finally, it could consider financial or technical support as motivation for good programmes.

The media's dependence on marketing and its need for funding cannot be ignored. Earmark tax is seen as a good source for budget, Wilasinee said. There is room too for a "sin tax," to be collected for projects that would contribute to society.

Public relations budgets of organisations and public companies should also be spent on sponsoring good media programmes. The Stock Market too might give incentives to support production companies.

While the state has never stopped surveillance of websites, the Internet is a medium providing more freedom for people and distributes opportunities for the young generations to present their creativity and skills.

Newspapers, Wilasinee said, continue to have the image of a reliable medium, but their editors must provide readers with more in-depth, analytical content as well as archives.

Changing lifestyles makes it harder for families to keep an eye on and advise children on their media habits. Nevertheless, media literacy is necessary for everyone, she said.

"The ultimate goal is to create an independent organisation to monitor the media. The public and families must be encouraged to take part," Wilasinee said. "We dream to make people "citizens," as a part of society, not just consumers of products or advertising."