Turmoil at TITV

Bangkok Post (2 Nov 2007)

Staff are in shock after the NLA passed a bill which forces the station to become a public broadcaster - but provides no budget to produce programmes or to pay a probably reduced number of employees. The passage of the bill to transform TITV into a public television broadcaster was another bombshell for the embattled TV station's staff, who said they were now "very confused and insecure". "The National Legislative Assembly made the decision [to pass the bill] without concern about the plight of staff," said a member of the TITV news staff, who has been working with the station for 10 years.

Although the move did not affect staff as much as when the Office of the Prime Minister seized the broadcasting concession of its predecessor iTV earlier this year, the passage of the bill had badly demoralised the employees, she said.

In March the PM's Office seized iTV's broadcasting concession after the station failed to pay fees and fines amounting to 103 billion baht for violating its contract on programme content.
"We have been kept in the dark. We don't know anything about the future of the TV station. We don't even know who our boss is now," said the senior reporter.

Staff members also doubt that running a public television broadcaster is practical as producing and broadcasting quality programmes and news coverage costs a lot of money.
"We are not sure if the government could shoulder the cost. I'm afraid that the new Thai Public Broadcasting Service (TPBS) won't work as the pro-public television group has imagined because of budget constraints," she said.

Jom Phetpradap, a moderator on TITV's Tua Jing Chad Jen news talk programme, said he agreed with the establishment of public television; however, the scheme must take into account the adverse impact on staff members. "How can we protect the public interest when we can't even protect ourselves?" he said.

"In the next two months, the broadcaster will no longer have income from commercials and no one knows where the station will get money [to run the station and pay salaries] because the allocation of state budgets to run this new public television is a lengthy procedure."
Mr Jom said all staff had to sign resignation letters in order to re-apply for positions with a five-member committee to be set up by the cabinet to oversee the television station during the six-month transition period.

He also questioned the transparency of the committee, saying they could intervene in the management of TITV in the transition period. A massive change to TITV's content was expected during the next six months due to a lack of management and programming policy, sources of budget and equipment. "In the worst case scenario, the government will have to borrow some programmes from Channel 11 to run on TITV, but I doubt if those programmes are of good quality," he said.

TITV staff said they will wait for clarification from the government over the future of the organisation before making any moves. Prime Minister's Office Minister Dhipavadee Meksawan yesterday urged TITV staff who faced losing their jobs after the conversion period to consider it a process of life. "Of course the staff are worried, but I'd like to advise that they take this as a process of life," she said.

Khunying Dhipavadee said the TPBS station will recruit staff and it is impossible to say if all TITV staff would be recruited to work for the new station. According to Khunying Dhipavadee, a policy board will be set up to oversee the station's operations, including its programming.