Auctions of digital TV licenses organized in Thailand

BANGKOK, December 26 (TNA) - The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) organized its auctions of variety high-definition (HD) and standard-definition (SD) digital television licenses in Bangkok on Thursday. NBTC later reported that its first auction of variety HD digital television licenses saw seven contenders, including MCOT Public Company Limited (MCOT), the operator or Thai News Agency (TNA), Modernine TV and Modern Radio Networks, and they are likely to receive the licenses. NBTC Vice Chairman Colonel Natee Sukolrat said that there were seven potential licensees in Thursday morning's auction, held at the CAT Tower of CAT Telecom Public Company Limited in the capital. They include BEC-Multimedia Co., which operates TV Channel 3 and offers the highest price of 3.53 billion baht, and MCOT, which offers the 5th highest price of 3.34 billion baht. Colonel Natee told journalists that the NBTC will announce the 15-year licensees within 15 days and deliver the broadcasting licenses in February 2014. The auction of variety SD digital television licenses was held on Thursday afternoon, with 16 companies vying for seven licenses. Thai Broadcasting was later announced to be the top bidder in the SD digital television auction, with its offered price at 2.36 billion baht, while the other six winners in this category include True DTT, GMM SD Digital TV, BEC-Multimedia, RS Television, Mono Broadcast and Bangkok Business Broadcasting.(TNA)