Thailand’s media regulator drafts competition regulation

Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has drafted three new regulations relating to competition in the broadcasting industry, according to the Bangkok Post.

The first rule defines different markets based on broadcasting services such as frequency broadcasts, non-frequency broadcasts, satellite TV, cable TV and terrestrial TV. It will define any market operator with 25% of the audience within each market it serves as a significant market power (SMP), and closely monitor it as a result. SMPs in the pay-TV business may be more regulated than free-to-air operators, Rapid TV News reports. 

The other draft regulations relate to unfair competition and cross-ownership of media, reports the paper.

The new rules have been approved in principle by the NBTC, but several points still need further investigation. It has not been confirmed when the rules will be applied.