Thaksin's Ch11 broadcast not illegal

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Thaksin's Ch11 broadcast not illegal

Published: 20 Dec 2012 at 14.47
Online news: Local News

The live broadcast on Channel 11 featuring former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra at a boxing event in Macau two weeks ago was not legally wrong, a subcommittee of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has ruled.

Lt Gen Peerapong Manakit, a director of the NBTC and chairman of the subcommittee in charge of content and programme slots, said the broadcast did not violate Section 37 of the constitution.

"The organisers bought the rights to the airtime from state-owned NBT television. The NBTC had no right to intervene," said Lt Gen Peerapong.

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whatajoke
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Discussion 16 : 21 Dec 2012 at 07.3316
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NBTC's ruling on the matter is fair enough, you can't police every minute of broadcasting and it wasn't exactly a 'wardrobe malfunction'. As always, the master of self publicity pulled off a clever publicity stunt, half the country saw it as normal to see him on state TV defending his reputation and were likely excited to hear from him, and half were disgusted by the unsurprising trickery of it all, so nothing is new here. It is rather pathetic that someone has to engineer a 'co-incidental' appearance a Muay Thai fight, and drag the country's most respected institution into it, just to launder his image.
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ricardo
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Discussion 15 : 20 Dec 2012 at 23.0315
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Bought and paid for with “taxpayers” money. Thaksin has never done anything that has not benefited himself. Wait till he gets back in power. He will seek revenge on everyone he perceives caused him to loss face, at the expense of Thailand itself.
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onlyme
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Discussion 14 : 20 Dec 2012 at 21.5614
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Disc. 10 - Very good, you understand the long game. This is why there is a test balloon every other week.
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taz
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Discussion 13 : 20 Dec 2012 at 21.4413
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Thaksin formula is the same as when he was PM with TRT. Simply put use money and buy everything that can stand in his way. Only problem is we end up where we started 12 years ago with a known end game!
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OldThaiHand
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Discussion 12 : 20 Dec 2012 at 20.1612
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Your title, "Bought and Paid For" is somewhat ironic, as it pretty much sums up the people who put the PTP in power.
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bandrew
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Discussion 11 : 20 Dec 2012 at 19.4511
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So it was okay for Thaksin to buy time from the station and cause public conflict, however in the future broadcast material will have to be reviewed before being aired. I would hope the International community is watching what is going on in this country right now.
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Ramet in Dallas
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Discussion 10 : 20 Dec 2012 at 19.2510
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Great. Now this ruling paves the way for him to buy time for a weekly show so he can tell Thai people his great plans to save them and to promote his version of 'reconciliation'.
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rico

Discussion 9 : 20 Dec 2012 at 19.229
Can someone explain me why all those commitees are chaired by (ex) army officers ?? The organisers of the boxingevent where Generals, the thai boxing commitee was chaired by a Colonel. The broadcast association is headed by a general. Even Taksin, which choose a carreer as businessman, then as a politician is still referred to as Pol Colonel ! Democratic societies are ruled by civilians, not Generals ( which are found in dictatorial regimes).
from iPhone application.
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bkkfarang1
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Discussion 8 : 20 Dec 2012 at 19.138
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So if you buy airtime, you can do what you like, well unfortunately that is not true, there are guidelines that must be followed. As he is a fugitive he cannot be on air!
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geoffo
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Discussion 7 : 20 Dec 2012 at 18.417
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The committee asked media to cautiously review broadcast material so not to cause public conflict.

It was a live broadcast for goodness sake.

The regulator wants content free from influence by private organizations or government.

TS covered all bases. He is a private citizen & fugitive who controls the Government
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