Advertising free-for-all
on Thai cable TV
before new law comes into effect
By Jon Fernquest
What do erectile dysfunction
drugs, cancer-killing herbs, plastic surgery and sex
toys all have in common?
These controversial products are now advertised regularly on Thai cable TV.
They used to be banned.
(See photo on right of sex toys imported from foreign countries to Thailand seized by Thailand's Food and Drug Administration (FDA))
Recently, local Thai cable TV has turned into a free-for-all of commercials for products such as these, products that most parents would not want their kids to know about, much less learn about through instructive cable advertisements.
Cable channels have taken advantage of a temporary absence in TV industry regulation to air these commercials.
The Public Relations Department of the Thai government used to regulate commercials under a 1992 law but the new 2008 Broadcasting Act, which took effect in March, has ended all ministerial announcements, including those for commercials.
Hopefully soon, when a new Frequency Allocation Act is passed in parliament, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) will be set up to regulate the industry once again.
New legal advertising oportunities for cable TV
There are two types of TV, traditional free-to-air TV and pay TV.
Free-to-air TV has always been allowed to advertise. For the first time laws allow pay TV operators such as cable TV channels to advertise. The new 2008 Broadcasting Act allows six minutes per hour of commercials and a total of 120 minutes per day. The new NBC may be restrictive and not allow this much advertising. NBC will also formulate an exact definition of what counts as advertising including ad tie-ins and product placements.
Over the last two years media buying agencies are the firms that have moved in to gain this new potential pay TV advertising income.
The fibre-optic technology used by cable channels has dropped in price recently. Pay TV penetration in Thailand could double to five million as a result. Pay TV channels could double to 100 next year, this is in addition to the expensive TrueVisions (IBC) that most people think of when they hear the words "pay TV."
Increased viewers and channels would translate into higher advertising revenues but not as high as traditional free-to-air TV, with pay TV ads worth 2.5 billion baht in the first years of operation, only a fraction (5%) of the lucrative 50 billion baht free-to-air TV ad expenditures.
(Source: Bangkok Post, 26-07-08, WORANUJ MANEERUNGSEE, page B1, temp-link)
Vocabulary:
erectile
dysfunction - a sexual problem that men have when they are
unable to "develop or maintain an erection of the penis," reasons range
from cardiovascular leakage to diabetes, "many of which are medically
treatable" (See Wikipedia)
ปัญหาอวัยวะเพศชายไม่แข็งตัว
plastic surgery - surgery to restore injured body
parts (reconstructive surgery) or improvement the appearance
(cosmetic surgery) (See Wikipedia)
ศัลยกรรมพลาสติก
sex toys, marital aids - any object or device used
to provide human sexual pleasure (See Wikipedia)
เครื่องมือช่วยหรืออุปกรณ์ช่วยสำเร็จความใคร่
controversial
- people have very different opinions about them, create arguments
ที่เป็นที่โต้เถียง
banned - not allowed ห้ามไม่ให้ออกอากาศ
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) - the government
agency that regulates medicine (drugs) and food safety ....and sex toys
องค์การอาหารและยา
have in common - similar features, features they
share มีคุณสมบัติเหมือนกัน
cable TV, cable channels - television by underground
cable to your apartment or home (most local provincial areas have
channels like this) เคเบิลทีวี
a free-for-all - a disorganised and chaotic
situation สถานการณ์ที่ไม่มีการควบคุม
absence
- does not exist, does not have ปราศจาก
commercials
- advertisements on radio or TV โฆษณาทีวี หรือวิทยุ
air commercials, broadcast commercials - show
commercials on TV ออกอากาศโฆษณาทางทีวี
took effect - when a law becomes active มีผลบังคับใช้
2008 Broadcasting Act - Thailand's new laws
regarding broadcasting กฎหมายโฆษณาปี 2551
take advantage of - use a situation for your own
benefit ฉวยโอกาส
free-to-air TV
- traditional broadcast TV (for example channel 3) โทรทัศน์ช่องปกติ
pay TV - cable or satellite TV
ทีวีช่องที่รับสัญญาณผ่านเคเบิลหรือดาวเทียม เช่น
UBC Star TVเป็นต้น
formulate an exact definition - create an exact
definition บัญญัติคำจำกัดความ
what counts as advertising - what sort of mentioning
or showing of a product on air is defined to be advertising
อะไรบ้างที่จัดว่าเป็นการโฆษณา
ad tie-ins - an authorized product based on a media
property a company is releasing, such as a movie or video/DVD, computer
game, or video game (See Wikipedia)
สินค้าที่ตัดว่าเป็นทรัพย์สินหรือลิขสิทธิ์ของทางบริษัท
product placements - when a film becomes an
advertisement, filmmakers agree to place a company's product or logo
visibly within shots การลงโฆษณาสินค้าทางทีวี
media buying agencies - companies that purchase time
or space ion different forms of media (TV, newspaper, magazine,
internet) for client companies บริษัทโฆษณา
โดยเฉพาะอย่างยิ่งทำหน้าที่ซื้อเวลาและจัดสินค้าลงตามสื่อต่างๆ
pay TV penetration - how many people or percentage
of people in a population who own or watch pay TV จำนวนผู้ดูรายการ pay
TV
would translate into - would lead to, would result
in นำไปสู่
lucrative - profitable, can make a lot of money with
ทำกำไร