A commissioner of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has urged the regulator's board to make a resolution on developing a national centralised streaming platform.
NBTC commissioner Pirongrong Ramasoota, who oversees the broadcasting sector, said the NBTC panel related to the TV broadcasting sector had studied a framework for developing the platform among several alternatives.
They include the establishment of a new platform, or upgrading the capabilities of the existing streaming platforms, such as AIS Play, True ID, or even Thai PBS's streaming platform, to become the country's national streaming platform.
The latter option could be accomplished through a cooperation or consortium model between telecom companies and TV broadcasters, she added.
The platform would be connected with all the streaming programmes of the existing digital TV channels, with the aim of handling the uncertainty surrounding the digital TV broadcasting market once all the digital TV operators' licences expire beyond 2029.
The platform would also be an effective tool to measure the viewership ratings of digital TV programmes.
The NBTC's division of engineering and broadcasting technology has finished the terms of reference (TORs) for hiring an adviser to create a prototype of the platform.
The plan to develop the platform has been listed on the NBTC's board meeting agenda since early this year. However, it has yet to be selected for discussion at board level.
The budget for developing such a platform, which was initially estimated at 200 million baht, would be sourced from the NBTC's funds.
A source from the NBTC said the platform would involve all related parties, including those in the advertising sector.
Digital TV operators would not be affected by the platform. All they would have to do is to connect all their streaming programmes to the new platform, which would help reflect real business activities and viewership.
The NBTC earlier held talks with all the relevant parties, including the Association of Digital Television Broadcasting, the Advertising Association of Thailand, and smart TV producers to identify the most appropriate features of the platform.
Twenty-four digital TV channels secured licences in the NBTC's 2013 auction. However, there are now only 15 channels left in the market after the others ceased operations, due to financial burdens.
In a related matter, according to a survey conducted by Neilsen Co (US) Llc, watching TV continued to be a popular activity during 2024 across all generations in Thailand, with 57% of all respondents using this medium.
In addition, the survey showed 61% of Gen X prefer to watch TV both online and offline in their free time, 54% of Gen Y watch TV online and offline, while the figure for Gen Z was 47%.
Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/general/3128662/
