NBTC deal hands Army new licence

Source: Bangkok Post, ThailandOct.mini storage 01--The broadcasting regulator has agreed to the Royal Thai Army's proposal to give the Army another digital-TV network licence in exchange for its consent to end its existing analogue concession with BBTV Channel 7 by 2018.The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) yesterday agreed to award a second network licence to the Army to provide digital-TV service without an auction requirement.The licence is the fifth out of six offerings total, with the previous licences going to MCOT Plc, Thai PBS, the Government Public Relations Department and the Royal Thai Army for its first licence.For its part, the Army has bowed to the NBTC's request to return spectrum to the regulator by 2018.Col Natee Sukonrat, chairman of the NBTC's broadcasting committee, said the Army must switch off its analogue broadcast system by 2018. A switch-off plan must be submitted by 2015.The Royal Thai Army must end its concession agreement with BBTV Channel 7 by 2018, said Col Natee.Channel 7 has five years to decide whether it will end the concession in advance and shift to the digital platform.The Army must also submit its digital expansion plan to the NBTC to ensure effective use of s迷你倉ectrum and broadcast infrastructure.Col Natee suggested the Army, also the operator of Channel 5, should reposition itself as a public TV channel for national security instead of a commercial station.Once all the network licences are granted, the NBTC plans to end analogue broadcasting within six years at the latest.Earlier, the Army proposed network rental fees of 36 million baht a year for a standard-definition (SD) channel and 72 million baht a year for a high-definition (HD) channel.From the second year onward, the annual rental fees would rise to 57.6 million baht for an SD channel and 172.8 million baht for an HD channel. The rates would be adjusted each year based on inflation.However, the rental fees may be reduced by 30% from the existing rates after the Army obtained the second network licence.An NBTC member who asked not to be named said MCOT Plc is tipped to receive the sixth digital TV network licence, as the regulator wants the state to end its concession with Channel 3 in order to return the existing analogue frequency in advance.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Bangkok Post (Bangkok, Thailand) Visit the Bangkok Post (Bangkok, Thailand) at .bangkokpost.com Distributed by MCT Information Services文件倉