The board of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) definitely ruled out yesterday any extension of Monday's deadline for paying the second instalment of digital-TV auction fees.
The ruling relied on consultations from the two anti-graft bodies — the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of the Auditor General — which said a delay was not feasible because it would violate the rules governing the digital TV licence auctions.
The payment schedule was clearly spelled out in an NBTC announcement regarding the criteria and terms of the digital TV auction as well as an addendum to the licence. They were considered part of the contracts.
A delay is possible only if the addendum is amended in a way that does not cause damage to the country or favour the private sector, the NBTC said.
Holders of 24 licences are due to pay 8.3 billion baht total on Monday. The amount is part of the six-year payment plan set forth in the auction terms.
Last month, the NBTC approved in principle the postponement of digital TV auction fee payments for 12 months after digital TV companies made the request.
"A delay would favour private companies and damage the country," secretary-general Takorn Tantasith said.
He said those failing to pay their second instalments would be charged annual interest of 7.5%.
Bangkok Broadcasting and Television, the operator of Channel 7 HD, was the first digital TV company to pay up last week, paying 683 million baht. Workpoint TV then paid its second instalment even as other operators continued to call for an extension.
Now 16 channels have paid a combined 6.77 billion baht for their second instalments including BEC Multimedia, GMM Grammy, Nation Group, MCOT, Amarin Television, PPTV and True Group. That leaves eight channels to make their payments by Monday.
Mr Takorn said the NBTC board also agreed to formulate action plans to address problems in the digital TV industry including a delay in the distribution of a 690-baht subsidy voucher and slow network expansion.
The NBTC auctioned 24 digital TV licences for a combined 50.9 billion baht.