Soap opera saga will only end in tears

Soap opera saga will only end in tears

How do you think the banning of Channel 3's soap opera Nua Mek 2 will pan out?

Do you think the channel's executives will go on air and apologise to the public for violating their constitutional right to see how the soap ends?

Do you think somebody will come clean and spill the beans about who and what was behind the decision to axe it?

Many people want to see this drama unfold, including the 96% of people polled by Ban Somdej who said they don't agree with the abrupt termination of the drama series.

Respondents said they want the show returned to the tube, and they want to see its original finale.

But the citizens of this country (and the many loyal followers of its soap operas) recognise that the banning of Nua Mek 2 will likely end in the same fashion as when the series was halted on Friday _ with no clear explanation.

The issue is likely to be buried under the huge baggage of political adversity that people have suffered since the 2006 coup against former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The show's banning has provoked an uproar. Many people suspect that political interference was at play.

Indeed, 77% of people surveyed in the same Ban Somdej poll said they believed the government had something to do with it being scrapped.

This suspicion continues despite denials by such government figures as PM's Office Minister Varathep Ratanakorn, who supervises Mcot, which is the concessionaire of Channel 3, and Prime Minister's secretary-general Suranand Vejjajiva.

However, if we look closely into the "uproar", we will find that it has less to do with censorship (or self-censorship), and more to do with the trading of political barbs along the same old lines of red versus yellow.

This is evident from the thousands of comments posted about the matter on online forums.

While a portion of the commenters touched on the issue at hand _ the need for Channel 3 to provide a clearer explanation about the show's removal beyond stating that the series was "inappropriate" _ the majority of them reflected the same political arguments with yellow and red divisions.

On the one hand the responses have condemned former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his "lackeys". On the other hand, the responses have ridiculed the soap opera and its producers for being too simplistic and naive in their worshipping of "goodness" and "good people", and said that those who have decried the axing of the soap are over-reacting and turning a blind eye to more important issues.

Censorship continues to play second fiddle to divisive politics.

Channel 3's decision to stay silent on its unusual decision has only fuelled the debate and speculation, little of which is useful for the station, the public or the government.

But since the channel pressed the "mute" button, it's likely to stay the course with the hope of riding out this critical storm.

As a major TV channel with a vast, strong and diverse base of fans, it may feel it has the capability to do so.

After all, what can Channel 3 say that will help it control the damage? Nothing really.

If it's political interference that was the reason for the soap's axing, the channel will never name whoever was behind the order.

If it was the station's own call to cancel its own show, how could it reveal that without sacrificing its own executives?

From its prescribed mission, it appeared as if the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), tasked with protecting the interests of both content producers and media consumers, could have had a major role to play in this affair.

The regulator, however, has chosen to stand aside and serve as an extra instead.

The NBTC yesterday said it had to wait for more information before its board can make a decision. However, a preliminary glance reveals that Channel 3 is authorised to make a decision on whether it should air a soap opera or not. The NBTC has no right to interfere, according to commissioner Natee Sukonrat.

For now, the killing of the TV soap has spawned a whole new episode of public debate.

Saddled with heavy political tones, and forced into the entrenched lines of colour-coded politics, it's unlikely this saga will have a happy ending.


Atiya Achakulwisut is Deputy Editor, Bangkok Post.

Atiya Achakulwisut

Columnist for the Bangkok Post

Atiya Achakulwisut is a columnist for the Bangkok Post.

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