The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) is pushing for the transition of analogue radio stations to digital radio from 2025, aiming to improve service standards and help stakeholders handle digital disruption.
The move is also an effort to deal with 3,500 community radio stations that have been operating on a trial basis with the NBTC's permission. The regulator has repeatedly extended the trial period, now slated to expire in December 2024. The regulator said it does not plan to switch off the analogue system in 2024.
NBTC commissioner AM Thanapant Raicharoen said community radio is a critical agenda item for the regulator.
The NBTC is set to start the overall radio industry's transition through its third master plan for the broadcasting and TV business, scheduled for 2025-30.
The transition calls for the digital radio regulatory framework to be enforced from 2025, though it would not be a compulsory condition for existing community radio stations, simply a voluntary option.
The NBTC office will have to promote proper incentives and an ecosystem to encourage them to enter the digital radio scheme.
There will be two types of the digital radio business licences, one for a station network operator (MUX) and one for a radio station operator.
The NBTC hopes to see the cooperation of several community radio stations to establish or invest in joint-network deployment and rent them to operate a digital radio service.
Technically, one MUX operator would be capable of providing network capacity for at least 16 digital radio stations.
Some 313 radio stations hold NBTC licences, while around 3,500 community radio stations operate on a trial basis. All of them have operated on the spectrum range between 87-108MHz.
Digital radio means using digital technology to air content on the spectrum. The digital radio system requires a new radio receiver, but the NBTC office does not have a clear strategy of how to promote incentives for the public to change radio receivers.
The NBTC office yesterday also held a public hearing for the amended draft of its second master plan for the broadcasting and TV businesses which will be implemented between 2020 and 2025. The hearing is set to be finished by May 10.
In parallel, NBTC commissioner Pirongrong Ramasoota said the NBTC is amending regulations relating to promoting and developing the TV business under Section 52 of the Broadcasting Business Act.
The draft amendment stipulates that the NBTC board may consider giving any programme or production that is beneficial to society financial support from the NBTC fund.
