Nation Group in TV news launch

<p>The Nation Group has launched Southeast Asia's first local </p><p>language, 24-hour news channel, signaling a new era in regional </p><p>broadcasting. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Initially The Nation Channel will be available only on cable operator </p><p>United Broadcasting Corporation's (UBC) channel 8 to customers who opt </p><p>for its premium service. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>English news service editor Laurent Malespine said programming was meant </p><p>to serve both local Thais and the expatriate community living in </p><p>Thailand. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"The short term objective is to build a reliable 24-hour news channel in </p><p>the local language. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Most of the sponsors are foreign companies and we need to serve their </p><p>needs as well." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Because of a law banning advertising on Thai cable television, UBC can </p><p>only seek corporate sponsorship. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>This means that Thai television news presenters are regularly submerged </p><p>in a sea of logos with many analysts arguing that commercials would be </p><p>better. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"For reasons of credibility, we will have to be more refined than that, </p><p>such as showing sponsors' logos discretely in the corner of the screen," </p><p>Malespine said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Fees of annual sponsorship packages will be as high as five million baht </p><p>(US$128,205). </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The break even point for the Nation Channel has been set at 120 million </p><p>baht, and 30 per cent of that total has been pledged for the first </p><p>year. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Malespine said start up costs have exceeded 100 million baht and over </p><p>200 new staff have been added, 100 for news alone. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The Nation Channel will broadcast news in Thai every hour on the hour </p><p>and in English on the half-hour. It will try to keep costs in line by </p><p>relying heavily on news teams from the company's two flagship </p><p>newspapers, The Nation and Krungthep Thurkij. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The Nation group will also launch Thailand.com, with an eye on paving </p><p>the way for the convergence of Internet with television. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"The plan for the long term could be merging television with the </p><p>Internet, that will lead to digital television or webcast programming </p><p>over the Internet," Malespine said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The Nation Group is also trying to sell its 16 per cent stake in the </p><p>country's first independent station, iTV, to the powerful Shin </p><p>Group. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The move has been heavily criticised in local media because Shin Group </p><p>is majority-owned by political heavyweight Thaksin Shinawatra, leader of </p><p>the Thai Rak Thai Party, who is sparring to become prime minister in the </p><p>next parliamentary election. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Analysts are concerned the party will use the station to promote </p><p>political ambitions or edit out content critical of Thai Rak Thai. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Recently Thailand's other English language daily, The Bangkok Post, said </p><p>it was interested in taking a stake in iTV. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Shin Group had been expected to take up to an 80 per cent share in iTV, </p><p>but instead joined Siam commercial Bank in a debt-restructuring plan for </p><p>a smaller ownership percentage. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>