Mentors Posted February 5, 2010 Report Share Posted February 5, 2010 The Ministry of Interior (MoI) has announced that it will set up a satellite television channel, TV Mahadthai to create a better understanding of the ministry's policies and activities, with special emphasis on "protecting the institution [of the monarchy]". The programmes being arranged include a variety of shows featuring the interior minister, his deputies, the directors-general of various departments and the provincial governors as presenters of their provinces: development visions, local attractions, tourist sites, and Otop (one tambon one product), etc. Saksiam Chidchob, the younger brother of Newin Chidchob - Bhumjaithai (BJT) Party's mentor and power broker - and Supachai Jaisamut, BJT's spokesman, said that the channel will not be used as a political tool for their own benefit. Many, however, suspect otherwise. That may be due to the fact that the scheme points to Mr Newin, who is shrewd in public relations and propaganda schemes. When he was still working for ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, he was instrumental in setting up Prachatas, the red shirts' newspaper and news agency. He took charge of programming the government's Channel 11 when Thaksin's People Power Party was in power after the election of 2005, and had a hand in many of the red shirts' underground movements and its propaganda machines. After he broke away and joined forces with the ruling Democrats, he supposedly used those valuable skills against Thaksin. It is now rumoured that the former Prachatas team will be running the new MoI satellite station. The press has dubbed the initiative the "Blue TV" in accordance with the BJT's colour, as opposed to the "Red TV" or People's Channel of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) which is sponsored by Thaksin; or the "Yellow TV" of the ASTV-Manager Group supported by Sondhi Limthongkul, leader of the New Politics Party (NPP) and the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) movement. The Yellow ASTV was a major rallying tool which the alliance used in its bid to overthrow Thaksin. It remains the main mouthpiece for the NPP and PAD - promoting their activities and political ideas while attacking Thaksin, the red shirts, the other political parties including the ruling Democrats. On a totally opposite pole but a mirror of ASTV, the Red People's Channel uses its programmes to rally its grassroots supporters, attack their political nemesis - the NPP-PAD and Democrat-led government. The channel is broadcast live from rallies across the nation, and of course, telecasts Thaksin's tele-conferences and speeches from abroad. Suspicion has arised that Mr Newin is trying to carve out his own "blue" audience through the MoI's TV channel and to use it to rally support for BJT and his blue shirts. It will also probably be a mouthpiece to be used to deflect political attacks against Mr Newin and to fight back the red and yellow shirts, both of which have no love for Mr Newin and BJT. But will it be worth the time and money? Many politicians in the past have entertained and actually worked on attempts to run their own media companies. Many felt they needed to voice their opinions and that the mainstream media was forever biased, ignoring and distorting their messages. So it has always been tempting to open up a direct communication channel to their respective constituents and the general public. In the older days, a newspaper and its staff could be bought and friendly editors selected, put in place to churn out propaganda columns and news. Most became dormant after their purposes had been served. Ambitions died down and funds dried up, then the outlets went bankrupt since the set-up of such types of media were not based on a working business model. In the modern age, TV has become the vehicle of political communications, especially with satellite, cable and internet TV, where there are virtually unlimited channels. At the same time, the delay of the needed telecommunications law keeps the loophole wide open where everyone can grab a piece of the pie without being regulated in terms of operating channels and providing content. The political battleground has extended to community radios, numbering in the ten of thousands across the nation, where DJs take on their favourite political colours and broadcast programmes attacking one another. The cyber world is another problem altogether. Reading through the websites and web boards, the fights are as vicious and no less confrontational. The mainstream media call these relatively new outlets sue tiam literally, "fake media". Admittedly, they can be effective propaganda tools. However, society has since become more knowledgeable and is able to distinguish the biases. With the different viewpoints being aired, the public can judge for themselves and democracy can be made to work. Of course, rules and regulations must be set to protect the public from lies and misinformation, accompanied with severe punishment. [color:blue]The difference between the Blue TV and the red or yellow channels is that it will be using public money and could be made to become the communication vehicle for BJT's expansion of its political base through the nerve centre of the government - the Ministry of Interior. That must not be permitted. If left uncontrolled, the channel will be dangerous and potentially destabilising, as it could turn into a full-blown state-sanctioned propaganda machine.[/color]Mr Newin and the BJT can set up their own TV station - but not at the public's expense. In addition, devising a policy for a ministry to operate its own television station is a waste of public money. The same can be said of the Ministry of Communication Technology's plan to set up a station to broadcast programmes about technology, the internet, and various other com-tech concerns. Although the Ministry of Education's ETV channels for education are highly valuable, this government's Tutor Channel might not be as beneficial. Government agencies have no business setting up TV stations. They can support good public programmes in existence and if they are really good, private sector television stations will surely cooperate. Or they can resort to the government's Channel 11 which is already operating as a free public service television channel and still lacks good programming to fill up its slots. [color:blue]But then again, these days Channel 11's evening shows are already full of personalities lined up to attack the opposition and the red shirts, sometimes even outpacing the yellow shirts' ASTV.[/color] [color:blue]What a "blue" outlook![/color] http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/32312/will-newin-tv-turn-this-country-blue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted February 5, 2010 Report Share Posted February 5, 2010 Sigh ... I remember when TV used to be black and white. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentors Posted February 5, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2010 Sigh ... I remember when TV used to be black and white. and shows Laurel & Hardy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted February 5, 2010 Report Share Posted February 5, 2010 That's about what we've got now, only Laurel and Hardy were harmless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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