Pay TV operator TrueVisions is in talks with MCOT Plc about compensation it will pay the latter after its first concession expired last month.
The talks about compensation are expected to be finished next month. The expired concession was a contract between MCOT and United Broadcasting Corporation (UBC), which ran from Oct 1, 1989 to Sept 30, 2014.
True Corporation, formerly Telecom Asia, took over two cable operators, International Broadcasting Corporation Plc and UTV, and in 1998 merged the two as UBC, which was renamed TrueVisions in 2007.
However, TrueVisions has another pay TV concession under UBC Cable Networks Co, which will expire on Dec 31, 2019.
After the concession expires, TrueVisions must return all assets to MCOT, the concession owner, including signal-transmission and -receiving equipment and devices such as satellite dishes, set-top boxes and subscription accounts. They are estimated to be worth more than 200 million baht.
Thanachai Wongthongsri, an executive vice-president of MCOT, said TrueVisions was declaring all these assets under the UBC concession.
"MCOT does not want all these assets, and TrueVisions still needs them to provide pay TV service," he said.
"So we'll work together to consider which assets we should have and evaluate the asset values. TrueVisions will compensate us in exchange for not receiving most of the assets back."
Recently TrueVisions set up a new company called TrueVisions Group to handle its billing service.
It transferred all but 10,000 subscribers to the new entity.
The company started a campaign to migrate existing subscribers by offering them more channels such as Disney Channel, Screen Red by HBO and the Food Network Channel.
TrueVisions has 2 million subscribers on both cable and satellite systems.
Mr Thanachai said MCOT would not become involved if some subscribers will not migrate to the new company.
TrueVisions must convince them and perhaps offer an incentive or compensation, he said.