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Location: Bangkok, Thailand

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Funding the media of the Yellows and the Reds

 
Oct. 29 2009 - 11:51 pm
View comments (11)

0


Channel News Asia:

But funding has dried up, as many companies are hesitant to advertise on the network which promoted the Bangkok airport occupation.
...
Jittanart Limthongkul, ASTV Product Managing Director, said: "I think it is actually a win-win solution. For the supporters who do not want to buy our products, we are still open to donations. Many people use our products and like them. But now they run a real business selling our products."
...
One shopper said: "It is a good idea for ASTV, because they do not have advertising from big sponsors. In fact, their products are more expensive than others, but we choose to use ASTV products."

Another commented: "I am willing to buy ASTV products despite higher prices. I want to support them otherwise the young generation will be in trouble."

But if yellow is not your colour, the Red Shirts also have specially branded merchandise for sale.

Woravut Wichaidit, advertising editor, Truth Today, said: "We have Truth Today brand drinking water and energy drinks. We also have rice cookers and hot water carafes. All the income will be used for our protests, but with regards to how much money we make from selling the products, we can live on it, but cannot really rely on it."

Last month, TAN Network had an article examining this and wondering whether it was healthy. Key excerpt:

Good as the project may sound, there is still the question of whether or not this is a healthy situation for the media industry in Thailand.

Like it or not, ASTV cannot truly answer the question of whether or not it produces truly unbiased news that is untouched by the cult-like ideology of the yellow shirt PAD. Yet yellow or red, one fact remains, and that is, as long as Thailand upholds the freedom to speech within the limits of its culture and beliefs any station will have the right to present the news in any way they like according to the law.

Standup at shop Now in the future ASTV plans to open up a franchise of supermarkets just like this across the nation to build up a sustainable income to keep their network running. But the problem is: can a TV station truly run successful supermarkets? And what does this say about Thailand’s media landscape when a TV station, which wants to report news freely, is forced to result to selling goods to survive?

BP: Should they expect others to sponsor this though? Surely not, not everyone wants to support highly biased and inflammatory media channels.

 

h/t Absolutely Bangkok



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Comments



by Veharachan
on 10/30/2009 01:17 am

Bias is a difficult subject. New York Times allegely wants to be objective, but if you are right of center you will see them having "liberal" bias. Also, information consumers take in whatever they like when they like it. There were many corporate donations to PAD during the peak of the movement to get rid of Thaksin. If we have Reds media to counter ASTV or vice versa, I am OK with it.


by BP
on 10/30/2009 01:52 am
http://us.asiancorrespondent.com/bangkok-pundit-blog

V - Am ok with ASTV as well, but if you are take a very ideological position and are constantly attacking people with smears and insults, should one be surprised that mainstream companies are reluctant to support the media organization? No.


by Jotman
on 10/30/2009 02:46 am
http://jotasean.com

Veharachan,

It's not really so difficult. It's quite clear cut. News organizations have no business promoting partisan political rallies.

In so far as ASTV promoted the Bangkok airport occupation, the situation is analogous to Fox News promoting "tea party" gatherings in the US. That's crossing a line.

(Follow-up note to webmaster: Maybe it's just my browser, but I'm finding the font used here hard to read. Also, as I mentioned last time, I really don't like being tossed off BP's blog after I log in to leave a comment).


by Jotman
on 10/30/2009 02:54 am
http://jotasean.com

(Note to webmaster, continued: A comment "preview" feature would be very much appreciated by this blog reader. Also, it's confusing that the comments seem to get posted here in reverse order -- this "innovation" confounds readers' expectations. As mentioned before, I shouldn't have to use a scroll-thingy to reach BP's blog from the home page. I find it easier to access this blog from BP's old site than using the AC homepage. That says a lot doesn't it?)



by Veharachan
on 10/30/2009 04:16 am

Hi Jotman: I prefer knowing where they (like Fox or ASTV) stand. I don't have to deal with the hidden agenda. Believe it or not, news organizations are not completely free of hidden agenda. It's a built-in political culture and economic interest.


by CrystalContrail
on 10/30/2009 05:32 am

Dear Webmaster: I would like to support Jotman's idea. I also think that the font should be larger (I have to zoom in the font on my iMac a few times). The names of the posters are very difficult to read.


by Hobby
on 10/30/2009 09:29 am
http://www.nganadeeleg.blogspot.com/

I'm wondering if the sketch (your blog logo) bears any resemblance to the real BP?

(Sorry, just testing what it's like commenting on the new site:)


by Jotman
on 10/31/2009 12:10 am
http://jotasean.com

Hi Veharachan, I understand your concern for transparency. My concern is that when a news organization starts promoting rallies or protests, or trumping a particular story too hard, it is no longer reporting news, but making news. Particularly problematic is when a news organization promotes a story of no great consequence that happens to serve a political agenda. Put a meme into enough heads, and sooner or later you get everyone talking about it, and have created a new reality.

Hobby, regarding BP's picture (above), did you happen to notice that Pundit has a black eye? I fear he might have been attacked.


by Ricefield Radio
on 10/31/2009 12:52 am
http://ricefieldradio.com

All media outlets have a political bent of some sort or another. It's easy to skew the, in my case, listeners view by using selective words, sometimes you don't even have to be pointed about it. A good example is the Bkk Post who prefaces every reference to Thaksin with "Convicted Criminal" or other such catch phrase.

While ASTV and the UDD are at opposite ends of the spectrum there are literally hundreds of news sources in between. It is a requirement of an intelligent reader, listener or watcher to sort through all the BS and spin and come up with something that is meaningful to them. The irony is that often those that should be sorting out what is said get stuck in the rut on one side or the other and lose their objectivity.


by BP
on 10/31/2009 04:30 am
http://us.asiancorrespondent.com/bangkok-pundit-blog

Jotman: There is no black eye. It is just how the image has altered using GMIP to disguise identity.


by fall
on 11/01/2009 12:46 am

Hmm, just a random thought...
Do those "Donation" for protesting, to both PAD and UDD, have to pay tax?




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