Thailand's digital TV viewers reach 14.5 million

BANGKOK, February 4 (TNA) - Thailand's National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) reports that new digital television service has already attracted 14.5 million viewers so far, boosting its average commercial airtime fee to 50,000 baht per minute now. NBTC Secretary-General Takorn Tantasith told journalists on Wednesday that the distribution of free digital TV set-top box coupons has raised the percentage of viewers watching 21 digital TV channels from 7 to 24, totaling 14.5 million people, over the past 10 months after ditigal TV service was first introduced in the country in April 2014. Of the viewers, Takorn said, 6-7 million watch digital TV through set-top boxes and 8-9 million are satellite and cable-based. The NBTC has distributed 7.7 million set-top box coupons and 50 per cent of them, or 3.57 million, have already reached people. According to the NBTC chief, the average commercial airtime fee on digital TV has also risen from less than 10,000 baht to 50,000 baht per minute and commercials on digital TV have risen by 40 per cent, while commercial airtime fees via the traditional analog TV service have dropped by 4-5 per cent. Meanwhile, NBTC plans to distribute all 13.4 million set-top box coupons to raise the number of digital TV viewers to about 20 million within this year. (TNA)