Thai pay-TV firm demands right to air commercials

<p>BANGKOK: Thailand's leading pay-TV operator United Broadcasting </p><p>Corp (UBC) is stepping up pressure on the Government to allow it to run </p><p>commercials, claiming it is in dire financial straits because of the </p><p>depreciating baht and eight years of losses. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>It recently requested permission to run "pass-thru" advertising, ads </p><p>that are pre-packed with foreign programmes. Thai regulations prevent </p><p>pay-TV channels from running ads, as does UBC's contract with its </p><p>concession owner, the Mass Communications Organisation of Thailand </p><p>(MCOT). After a round of talks, MCOT agreed to allow UBC to raise </p><p>monthly fees by about 17 per cent, but declined to make a decision on </p><p>the advertising issue. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>