The “digital switchover” is a critical juncture for the political economy of the broadcasting sector in Thailand. The National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) is at the center of a major struggle that will redefine the future of the Thai broadcasting landscape. In this context and as part of its work on the media reform process, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Thailand with the cooperation of Siam Intelligence Unit (SIU) have initiated a serie of articles that will serve as a basis of discussion for civil society group to develop upon a common strategy to actively promote public interest.

II. NBTC Public Digital TV licensing

In this article, the auteur gives an overview of how the public digital TV licensing process is organized and raises the questions of who qualifies for public service licensees, what model of “beauty contests” is suitable for Thailand.