Thai TV Co is taking two money-losing, digital-TV channels off the air and is blaming the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission for the losses.
Thai TV president Pantipa Sakulchai sent two letters to the NBTC on Monday to inform the regulator of her company's plans to stop broadcasting on the two channels, Thai media reported. The decision would take effect 15 days after the NBTC received its letters, the company said.
The firm's Thai TV channel broadcast news and information while its LOCA channel showed youth and family content. Licenses for the two channels were won from the NBTC on April 27 last year.
Mrs Pantipa blamed the NBTC for failing to promote digital TV and generate large audiences nationwide. She said earlier that her firm lost 300 million baht on the digital venture. The company added Monday that it reserved the right to demand compensation from the agency.
Thai TV's letters went out the same day the company missed deadline to make its 288-million-baht instalment payment on its digital-TV auction fee. It was the only broadcaster to miss the Monday deadline among holders of 24 digital-TV licences.
Mrs Pantipa said the company had sought an extension to pay the fee, but the NBTC refused.
The broadcaster had paid 365 million baht for its first instalment and had placed out a bank guarantee worth 2 billion baht with the NBTC.
The commission will hold a press conference on the issue tomorrow.