3,900 Thai community radio stations to cease under new digital scheme

Approximately 3,900 community radio stations will be forced to cease broadcasting after this year due to the transition from analogue to a licensing regime and a digital audio broadcasting (DAB) scheme. The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has been working on the digital radio regulatory framework, aiming to implement it by September.

This significant change is set to happen due to the nation’s shift from an analogue system to a licensing regime operating under a Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) scheme. The orchestrator of this transition, The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), has set ambitious plans to bring this digital radio regulatory framework in full effect by September.

NBTC Commissioner, AM Thanapant Raicharoen, highlights that the DAB system’s evolution is meant to coincide with the seismic transition of community radio systems into the NBTC’s stringent licensing regime. “The intention is to escalate the quality of our service standards while simultaneously enabling involved parties to remain abreast of the digital disruption wave,” he stated. This overhaul is a crucial aspect of the NBTC’s third master plan for broadcast and television businesses which is set to run from 2025 to 2030.

The expiration of radio stations’ trial permits marks the end of an era for community radios operating under NBTC permissions. These permissions, originally formulated to span half a decade by the National Council for Peace and Order until April 2022 and eventually extended by the previous administration, will reach their expiry date at 2024-end. Administrative punishments await stations that fail to assimilate to the new system, with the harsh penalty of closure looming large.

Bringing more clarity to the situation, AM Thanapant stated that community radios are essentially faced with two paths, one being the adoption of NBTC radio licensing regime for FM analogue systems and the other being a shift to the DAB system. At present tally, 313 FM radio stations can proudly tout licenses authorized by the NBTC. The stations which are granted permission as well as those under license operate in the 87-108 megahertz frequency spectrum.

The FM analogue radio system has the capacity to comfortably support around 3,000 stations within its existing spectrum provisions. However, these frequencies must be carefully managed to prevent signal interference, and stations that fail to choose a path by year-end will be terminated.

At a public hearing for the digital radio regulatory framework, AM Thanapant underscored the vital regulatory strategy aimed at optimal frequency utilization for digital audio broadcasting. He elaborated transmitter and receiver requirements and elaborated on the gradual conversion of licenses for DAB services and networks.

In the MUX broadcast realm, license stipulations are projected to be enforced by August 2024, and DAB operators should ideally have licencing permissions by the third quarter of 2025.

Three possible licensing schemes await MUX broadcasters. The first being the NBTC fund-backed installation of a MUX system, claimed to cost 1 billion baht for a three-year operation cycle, covering sixty percent of Thailand’s population. Alternatively, depending on public demand, NBTC could hold a licensing auction for nationwide MUX providers. Lastly, joint network development could be envisaged with community radio stations collaborating to rent a MUX system, heralding a new age in digital radio services.

In conclusion, AM Thanapant emphasized, “One MUX system has the capacity to accommodate at least 16-18 digital radio station operations.” This transition aims to streamline and modernize the broadcasting sphere, preparing all stakeholders for the digital future.