To promote self-regulation in the booming satellite-TV industry, the Satellite Television Association of Thailand has set up special committees looking into ethical issues regarding programming content and commercials.
STAT president Niphon Naksompop said the association would establish a committee to investigate the ethics of programme content, with himself as chairman.
"We've set up two committees actually, with the other one to look into advertising. The committees include representatives from the satellite-TV operators. One committee will look into policy and direction for commercial operations of satellite channels, while the other one will investigate actual operations, including censorship of commercials," he said.
Niphon said the association encouraged self-regulation among its members.
"Commercials broadcast on satellite TV should not mislead or otherwise cheat consumers. There should also be no defamatory message," said Niphon.
The STAT has 45 members, all of them satellite- and cable-TV channel operators.
"I believe in the great potential of satellite TV in Thailand. Four new channels, including A-Plus and Abac, were launched in the first two weeks of the year," said Niphon.
He said 20-30 new satellite and cable channels would be launched each year, with programme content very fragmented, even among animated fare, in order to serve niche groups of viewers.
Niphon said production costs would vary from only Bt1 million for replays of films and music videos to Bt20 million for news programmes that have almost 70 per cent of content newly produced.
He said satellite- and cable-TV networks together now reached 6 million households in the Kingdom.
"But we expect the new media to reach between 18 million and 19 million households, or 95 per cent of all the households in Thailand, within the next three to five years," said Niphon.
He said Thailand's satellite-TV industry would move to act internationally, so that locally produced content could be exported or exchanged for other foreign programming.
Meanwhile, the STAT yesterday launched the three-day STAT Expo 2010 at Siam Paragon shopping mall's Park Paragon, aimed at educating consumers about satellite TV.
