NBT's new face _ five hours less news for the good of all

TV BROADCASTING

News reporting on the National Broadcasting of Thailand channel will be slashed by five hours a day from April 1 with the government demanding more balanced coverage and more ''good news''. PM's Office Minister Sathit Wongnongtoey said up to 70% of the channel's programming would be changed and an independent panel would assess the results after three months.

Sathit: No coverage that might stir conflict

Mr Sathit, who oversees media policy, conceded jobs might be lost.

But the new look station would present quality and balanced news and refrain from coverage that could create political conflicts.

Mr Sathit said news hours on the state-run channel would be reduced from 12 to seven.

Programmes would focus on ''good news'' presentation to deal with economic problems and social conflicts as well as ways to build a healthy society.

News reports would still get most of the air time at 35%. Society-related programmes would take up 28%, state policy 12%, sports and recreation 12%, education and religion 7%, the monarchy 4% and 2% for sciences and health.

The changes to NBT were signalled earlier by the Democrat-led government in an attempt to reform the station, formerly known as Channel 11, after it had been heavily criticised for being a mouthpiece of previous governments.

Referring to the controversial and now-defunct political talk show ''Khwam Jing Wan Nee'' (Truth Today), Mr Sathit there would be no resurrection of any programmes that feature ''three moderators taking turns to rebuke their rivals''.

Mr Sathit would not comment on whether former Bangkok senator Chirmsak Pinthong, a member of the People's Alliance for Democracy, would join the new programme structure as speculated.Mr Chirmsak was a moderator at Channel 11 for many years.