Silencing the Voice: Pro-Thaksin outlet shuts down, sending shockwaves

A bombshell announcement rocks the media landscape as Voice TV, the longstanding bastion of pro-Thaksin views, announces it is shutting down.

The board of Voice TV declared the end of its 15-year run, leaving some 100 journalists and staff members facing the axe. The abrupt closure has left tongues wagging, with no immediate rationale provided for the drastic move.

Established back in 2008, Voice TV initially made waves as a niche satellite channel before expanding its reach to digital terrestrial platforms in 2014. However, in a twist of fate in 2019, the channel relinquished its digital TV presence amidst financial turmoil, reverting to satellite broadcasts and online streams via Facebook and YouTube.

Renowned for its unwavering pro-Thaksin stance, Voice TV’s pundits have often rallied behind the Shinawatra family, raising eyebrows and courting controversy. Notably, the channel’s former anchors have made waves in the political arena, with figures like ex-Future Forward luminaries Pannika Wanich and Piyabutr Saengkanokkul transitioning from news desks to parliamentary seats, reported Thai PBS World.

In related news, the Supreme Administrative Court delivered a final blow, dismissing the Prime Minister’s Office secretariat‘s hefty 2.8 billion baht lawsuit against iTV Public Company. The lawsuit, stemming from a joint agreement with Shin Corp to operate a TV station using the UHF spectrum, has been a thorn in the side since 2007, persisting through numerous administrations.

The Supreme Administrative Court’s resolute decision brings an end to the prolonged iTV concession fees controversy, culminating in a dispute that began when the Prime Minister’s Office first took the matter to an arbitration panel in 2016.

In other news, a plea for responsible broadcasting has been made by General Sittichai Makkunchorn, the spokesperson for the Chairperson of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC).

This appeal comes following public outcry over media exposure of violent content, the most recent instance being the wide circulation of a domestic violence case where a man took his wife’s life. This controversy has brought the ethical implications of broadcasting such material to the forefront of public discourse.