Company officials say that the process of hiring a consultant for the project is underway, and that once that is done, a feasibility study will be commissioned. They confirmed that Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and foreign minister Surakiart Sathirathai would help get the station off the ground by negotiating with counterparts in other countries for the TV signal to be sent around the globe. MCOT is Thailand's largest state-owned media enterprise. Besides operating Channel 9, MCOT also owns the concessions for Channel 3 and UBC pay-TV, as well as 62 FM radio stations and the Thai News Agency.
The new station, known internally as MCOT TV, will its first venture into English-language media, and is eventually expected to reach up to 3.5 billion people in 20 countries. It is to be funded by the MCOT's initial public offering, slated for the final quarter of this year. Former Toyota image maker and current MCOT director-general, Mingkwan Sangsuwan, has said that the new channel will serve the government's policy of tightening trade ties with other countries by creating a better understanding of Thailand; promote tourism; and encourage foreign investment.
While the focus will be on Thailand, the station will also cover regional news. Programs for the new station will in part be produced by Panorama, an MCOT subsidiary with a track record in documentary production.