TV channels fined for 'improper' rampage coverage
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TV channels fined for 'improper' rampage coverage

An army of reporters cover the rampage in Muang district of Nakhon Ratchasima province on Feb 8. (Photo by Prasit Tangprasert)
An army of reporters cover the rampage in Muang district of Nakhon Ratchasima province on Feb 8. (Photo by Prasit Tangprasert)

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has imposed fines of 250,000-500,000 baht on three digital TV stations - One31, Thairath TV and Amarin TV - for their "improper" coverage of the Korat shooting rampage.

The decision followed criticism of the live reporting of the shooting spree in Nakhon Ratchasima province on Feb 8. Some of the coverage revealed the operations of security officers and the locations of innocent victims hiding in Terminal 21 shopping mall, where a heavily armed gunman was stalking people.

The gunman was reportedly following the live updates while hunting for people in the mall.

The regulator ruled that the coverage caused mental anguish.

NBTC commissioner Lt Gen Peerapong Manakit said on Wednesday that One31 Co was fined 250,000 baht for its first offence. Triple V Broadcast Co, the operator of Thairath TV, and Amarin Television Co were fined 500,000 baht each for repeat offences and their graphic animation of the rampage, in which 30 people died and 58 were injured.

The appalling, indiscriminate mass killing began when an army sergeant shot dead his commanding officer and a woman and stole war weapons from an army base on Feb 8.

He sprayed bullets at pedestrians on the streets and at a temple, and held hostage people at the Terminal 21 mall in Muang district, Nakhon Ratchasima, in the afternoon. He killed 29 people and wounded 58 others, in total, before being shot dead by police 17 hours later.

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