Ads for socially sensitive products and services, such as erectile dysfunction remedies, plastic surgery and sex toys, have begun surfacing on pay-TV channels since March, when operators were granted a licence to run up to six minutes of advertising per hour of programming for the first time.
The licence, which is part of the controversial Broadcasting Act, has prompted senior media professionals to call for a new law – known as the Frequency Allocation Act - to tighten the regulation of pay-TV ads.
The law would place the pay-TV industry under the jurisdiction of a new regulator, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), which has yet to be launched.
According to Suphanee Dechaburananon, deputy chairman and director of trading and strategy for GroupM Thailand, who is spearheading the initiative, the NBC was scheduled to be launched by 1 August, but could take at least another year to set up.
With representatives from media agencies, cable TV operators and industry associations, the NBC would ensure that boundaries and standards in pay-TV advertising are better defined.
Adspend for Thailand’s pay-TV industry is set to grow to 2.5 billion baht (US$74 million) over the coming years as pay-TV penetration doubles to five million households. However, this represents just 5 per cent of the 50 billion baht ($1.5 billion) spent on free-to-air television.
Thai media industry lobbies for law to regulate "improper" ads
BANGKOK - Media executives in Thailand are lobbying the government to pass a law to regulate "improper" advertising on satellite and cable TV channels.
