The future of Thailand's media

[buksida]

Both state and private television stations should offer more educational programmes instead of just looking for ways to maximise their profits, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said in a meeting at the Thai Journalist Association (TJA) yesterday.

The summit, attended by representatives from five media organisations, was being held to discuss media reform under his administration.

"At certain times [of the day] shouldn't [TV] programmes be for children regardless of who owns the media?" Abhisit asked. "It's not that I want to enforce it ... but creative content should become the responsibility of all media in the country."

With regards to the freedom of press, he said, it was threatened by the power of the state and money. "In the past few years, the power of the state and capital have merged," he said, adding that this had led to a lot of problems because money and state authority had been used to make the media disseminate news in ways that best suited the powers that be.

Abhisit said he wanted to see a law that would protect the media, but added that he was aware that law is often abused and ends up defeating its purpose. He promised to speed up the broadcast and frequencies reform that has been stalled for years due to competition for monetary and political benefit. The PM stressed that the body overseeing these reforms would be "independent with no conflicts of interest".

With regards to the state-controlled NBT channel, Abhisit said he wanted to turn it into a public TV station, but reserve some time to connect with the public and explain the government's work. He also said that a true community radio station, one that was not a tool for political groups, was badly needed.

Full Story: The Nation

Thoughts: It is about time there were more educational programs on TV for adults and children instead of hours of incessant puerile soap operas and childish slapstick comedy shows featuring the same three goons.

Press freedom is another long-time hope and although every PM has claimed to support it I have yet to see one that has stood by his word.

[STEVE G]

Seeing as how he got into power on the back of an organisation that had a 24 hour prolitical propaganda channel running on TV, I’m surprised he wants any change.

[Wanderlust]

Maybe he is realistic enough to know that the way things have been done before is not the right way to run a country? Fair play to him if he manages to implement his ideas. Everything i have heard of him and some of the other ministers has been very impressive so far, but of course the proof of the pudding is in the eating, as they say..

[sandman67]

Ive always been surprised at the almost complete lack of "educational" TV in Thailand......other than syndicated Discovery Channel stuff there's nothing about.... no wonder Thais have skewed perceptions about the outside world.

Its not like theres not an audience....the nippers watch Discovery and Nat Geo when they are staying with us.

Thai news is a whole other ball game. Any news program that ran stories based entirely on unsubstantiated rumor and gossip back home would be screwed...here every news show and paper is full of these stories. Seems thats just the Thai style....I mean really.... reporting the opinions of fortune tellers as news?

You could say as well maybe more than a 5 minute roundup of world news, basically a list of headlines, .may be advisable.....

but again it seems the rest of the world's news is irrelevant when theres a small patch of frost in Chang Mai we can dedicate a 20 minute news slot to.

TV, especially in a country where some parts are less accessible and have sparse populations, should educate and inform as well as entertain. Thai TV fails miserably at that, and good luck to Abba if he chooses to stick the boot in on the stations.

It may mean we see less of the same handful of amateur hour soap actors, hysterical screeching women, and yes... the three slapstick goons who are as funny as a broken leg.

[nevets]

Yes if i ask the wife to turn down the screeching ladys she goes into a huff.
On the political front i have great hopes for Abba.

[Khundon1975]

Ive always been surprised at the almost complete lack of "educational" TV in Thailand......other than syndicated Discovery Channel stuff there's nothing about.... no wonder Thais have skewed perceptions about the outside world.

Its not like theres not an audience....the nippers watch Discovery and Nat Geo when they are staying with us.

Thai news is a whole other ball game. Any news program that ran stories based entirely on unsubstantiated rumor and gossip back home would be screwed...here every news show and paper is full of these stories. Seems thats just the Thai style....I mean really.... reporting the opinions of fortune tellers as news?

You could say as well maybe more than a 5 minute roundup of world news, basically a list of headlines, .may be advisable.....

but again it seems the rest of the world's news is irrelevant when theres a small patch of frost in Chang Mai we can dedicate a 20 minute news slot to.

TV, especially in a country where some parts are less accessible and have sparse populations, should educate and inform as well as entertain. Thai TV fails miserably at that, and good luck to Abba if he chooses to stick the boot in on the stations.

It may mean we see less of the same handful of amateur hour soap actors, hysterical screeching women, and yes... the three slapstick goons who are as funny as a broken leg.

sandman67 I agree with what you say.

The Thais do not seem to teach their children much about the rest of the World and what is going on, but rather, are happy to feed them cheap soap's all night, every night.

Even many of the graduates have little knowledge of events or politics outside of Thailand.

Is it a case of "keep them ignorant, keep them down" ??

Lets hope Abba can change things for the better.