By Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn
The Nation
Published on July 10, 2009
PM’s Office Minister Satit Wongnongtaey this month will meet with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to discuss turning state-run NBT, or Channel 11, into a public organisation.
The transformation could begin as early as next month.
Satit said the committee in charge of transforming Channel 11 had submitted its findings to him two weeks ago.
“Under the concept they came up with, we would make Channel 11 an educational channel serving the public interest. It would play a major role as a means of communication between the government and citizens,” he said.
Satit said under the public organisation, Channel 11 would receive Bt700 million a year in government funding. The station would be able to carry advertising, but only corporate logos and sports commercials.
“I would like to see all government agencies be required to earmark a certain amount of their advertising budgets for the station. That would help increase Channel 11’s revenue,” said Satit.
He said the committee thought Channel 11’s transformation should occur in phases, starting with staff, finances and assets being separated from the Public Relations Department and placed under a public organisation. There would also be a review of the company’s balance sheet.
“Individual staff at Channel 11 could decide whether to go with the new independent organisation or stay in the Public Relations Department, which now oversees the channel’s programming but would no longer do so,” said Satit.
The minister said the final phase would entail Channel 11 being completely transformed into a public organisation, including its eight broadcast stations upcountry.
“The last three months have proved Channel 11 can present more in-depth content than it has in the past two years, particularly news programmes,” said Satit.
He said he wanted the station to provide in-depth and informative content to diverse audiences. The programming would be reshuffled every three months.
“For me, separating Channel 11’s staff, finances and assets from the Public Relations Department is one of the biggest issues concerning this,” said Satit.
He said Channel 11 had contributed Bt120 million to the Public Relations Department and that once the transformation was complete, the department would lose that revenue source.
Tags: channel's programming, NBT, public interest, public-service station, transformation
