The board of directors of the digital TV network provider MCOT Plc have replaced its acting president after a network failure blacked out four popular TV channels for several hours on Thursday.
Viewers of Thairath TV, Voice TV, Spring News and the company's own MCOT Family were faced with blank screens from about 11.20am until 4pm in Chiang Mai and in the evening and night in Bangkok.
The company said the blackout was caused by malfunctioning transmission equipment.
Tasanawadee Thongprasert, assistant president of MCOT, said the board appointed Duangjai Maharakaga, an executive vice-president, as acting president with immediate effect on Friday, replacing another vice-president, Kamalasiri Isarankura na Ayudhya.
Ms Kamalasiri was due to retire at the end of this month, but the blackout hastened her departure.
Vachara Vacharapol, CEO of Thairath TV, said the regulator, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, should investigate the network system to ensure it is more efficient.
Thursday's transmitter failure, he said, not only caused losses for the channels paying to use the MCOT network, but also affected the transition of the domestic television system from analogue to the digital platform.
He said MCOT should offer compensation and an assurance there will be no repeat of the failure.