NBTC secretary general Takorn Tantasith said that THAI had no need to apply for the broadcasting licence to air the matches on flights as the carrier’s planned broadcasting is not fallen into the broadcasting business category under the 2008 Broadcasting Act.

The World Cup tournament will begin on June 14 and end on July 15.

The NBTC board also acknowledged the plan of True Visions to telecast live the World Cup matches via Channel 1 of Royal Thai Army Radio and Television Station, Channel 34 of Amarin TV, and Channel 24 of True4U.

It also approved the company to air and rerun such matches via its satellite, cable, and Internet Protocol TV channels.

In a separate matter, the NBTC will meet with 20 terrestrial digital TV channels on June 7 to inform them about terms and conditions of their right to enjoy the three-year debt moratorium and the NBTC’s subsidy for their rental fee of the terrestrial broadcasting networks.

These 20 channels are the majority of a total of 22 digital TV channels that last week applied for such right at the NBTC. The NBTC broadcasting subcommittee has resolved that all 20 of them are eligible for the right to suspend the payment of the instalments of the licence upfront for three years. Also, they are eligible to gain a 50 per cent subsidy each from the NBTC for 24 months for their rental fee of the terrestrial broadcasting networks.

The move is in line with the National Council for Peace and Order’s invocation on May 23 of its special power under Article 44 of the charter to allow all existing 22 digital TV channel operators to suspend the licence upfront instalment payment for three years.

Half of their rental fee payment on the broadcasting networks will also be subsidised by the NBTC for two years. However, they are obliged to pay the annual interest rate of the upfront fee during the payment suspension period .

The 22 operators were originally scheduled to pay the fifth upfront instalments on May 23. Channel TV 7 and Workpoint channel paid the instalment.

Previously, there were 24 digital TV channels before two Thai TV channels exited the business and are still in legal dispute with the NBTC. – The Nation