iTV Plc
still liable to pay fee and fine
Chira stands down as acting TITV director
POST REPORTERS
The spectre of bankruptcy still hangs over iTV Plc, with the public
prosecutor making it clear yesterday the company is still liable
for its 2.2 billion baht overdue concession fee and fine.
Meanwhile, its successor TITV, which is being run by the Public
Relations Department (PRD), is leaderless.
Chira Hongladarom resigned yesterday as acting director of the
state-owned UHF television channel, system and head of the
committee charged with running the station during its transition
after only 24 hours in the job.
Mr Chira took the step after critics questioned his eligibility as
a declared bankrupt. He is currently appealing the bankruptcy
court's verdict.
Banlang Pinsakol, the public prosecutor in charge of litigation
against iTV, said he expected the Prime Minister's Office would
file a complaint against iTV with the Central Administrative Court,
initiating the process compelling iTV to pay the concession fee and
fine by March 30.
Mr Banlang said the PM's Office had asked the Attorney-General's
Office to file the legal execution complaint against iTV on its
behalf.
The attorney-general had suggested the PM's Office verify the
amount of the fine and fee it is owed by iTV. This would enable Mr
Banlang to lodge the petition for legal execution.
The PM's Office and the Attorney-General's Office must also look
into details of iTV's assets, worth four billion baht. The assets
must be verified within 60 days, Mr Banlang said.
The Central Administrative Court has granted iTV staff a temporary
injunction against the PM's Office shutdown order. PM's Office
permanent secretary Chulayuth Hiranyawisit said the order gave TITV
more time to manage the assets.
But iTV Plc must first hand over its assets to the PM's Office,
which would then transfer them to the PRD. This was expected to be
done in 30 days.
TITV content will continue to broadcast from the Shinawatra III
building until its new studios on New Phetchaburi road were ready,
said Mr Chulayuth.
The PM's Office has earmarked a monthly budget of 60 million baht
for the rehire of the 1,000-plus former staff of iTV on
contracts.
This would be temporary, said Mr Chulayuth. Eventually an
independent body would be set up to run the station.
TITV was expected to earn 130 million baht in monthly revenue, but
income for March would actually flow in two months later, he said.
A public hearing would also be held on how TITV should be run in
the long term, and the results would be forwarded to the
cabinet.
ITV Plc chairman Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisal said the PM's Office
had officially informed the iTV board of directors of the
revocation of the broadcasting concession.
Consequently, the board yesterday cancelled all 446 business
contracts iTV had signed with its contractors.
The company's four other directors resigned from the board
yesterday after two directors quit on Tuesday. A new board,
consisting of five directors, was appointed to replace the previous
board, said Mr Niwatthamrong.
PRD director-general Pramoj Rathavinij, now also the director of
TITV, said the PRD set aside 90 million baht to relocate all the
equipment and supplies of TITV from the Shinawatra III building to
the PRD headquarters on New Phetchaburi road in 60 days. ''If the
90 million baht is not enough, we can ask for more next month,'' he
said.
The PRD would revise all content production contracts that iTV had
signed with its producers and it would soon discuss the revisions
with all producers, said Mr Pramoj
