Voice TV will shut down its digital channel 21 on Sept 1, receiving compensation of 378 million baht from the regulator within 60 days of the shutdown, according to yesterday's resolution of the regulator's board.
Compensation was also approved for the shutdown of MCOT Family Channel 14 on Sept 15.
The channel could receive compensation of 163 million baht, but the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) board will consider and give official approval for a resolution and net compensation for the channel.
The NBTC subcommittee is still working on remedy conditions for digital TV channels that have decided to remain in business.
NBTC secretary-general Takorn Tantasith said net compensation for each TV channel will differ depending on the winning price of each licence auction and the exact date when they are allowed to go off-air.
The compensation will mainly be in exchange for the spectrum the channels will return to the NBTC, for which they have already paid licensing fees up to 2029.
The NBTC calculated the net amount of compensation and subtracted the assistance they got from the must-carry rule and broadcasting network rental fee subsidy, as well as the annual net profit until the date of shutdown.
For MCOT Family 14, the channel won its TV licence for 452 million baht and subtracted the assistance it got from must-carry rule at 34 million baht and its broadcasting network rental fee subsidy at 28 million baht.
But MCOT Family 14 still has outstanding licence payments on its fourth term of 63 million. So, net compensation for MCOT Family 14 would be 163 million baht.
Mr Takorn said Channel 3 Family 13 and Channel 3 SD 28 are also under consideration by the NBTC subcommittee.
The two proposed financial statements and an off-air plan to the NBTC on Monday. They will have to pass the subcommittee before going to the board for approval.
