MCOT gets nod for digital TV license bid

BANGKOK, August 6 (TNA) - MCOT Public Company Limited (MCOT), a most established Thai media firm, has been given the green light, in principles, by the Cabinet to participate in an official auction for three digital commercial TV licenses, to be soon organized by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC). MCOT President Anek Permwongseni told journalists on Tuesday that, based on the Cabinet's approval, the three digital commercial TV licenses MCOT planning to bid include two channels for news and variety programmes under the standard-definition (SD) system and the other channel for variety programmes under the high-definition (HD) system, along with providing air times for outsourced broadcasting networks. Anek acknowledged that MCOT, which now runs Modernine TV, Modern Radio Networks and Thai News Agency (TNA), has set service charges at 60 million baht annually for the SD system and at 180 million baht annually for the HD system, which will be soon proposed to the NBTC for further consideration. According to the MCOT president, MCOT has prepared five billion baht for the auction and will borrow another 11 billion baht from financial institutes, if needed, while further upgrading the company's human resources and organizational structures in a parallel preparation for its forthcoming digital broadcasting services. (TNA)