Channel 33HD top digital TV revenue earner
IN THE second year of digital terrestrial TV, Channel 33HD run by BEC-Multimedia was the biggest revenue maker
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has received Bt226.31 million in annual licence fees from 22 digital-TV licensees.
The total figure was from a full year of operations, while last year's total revenue from all digital TV licensees -- just Bt72.1 million - was from June to December.
According to an NBTC source, a digital TV broadcaster has to pay about 2 per cent of gross revenue as its annual licence fee.
In this round, Channel 33HD generated Bt1.8 billion in revenue, the highest among the 22 existing terrestrial-based digital TV stations. So it became the top contributor in annual-licence-fee payment - Bt35.97 million - to the broadcasting regulator under the digital-terrestrial-TV licence regime.
Channel 33HD simulcasts |analog programmes from Channel 3, which is run by its sister |company Bangkok Entertainment Company under a concession from MCOT.
Combining revenues generated by BEC-Multimedia's three digital TV networks - Channel 33HD, 3SD and 3 Family - the company made Bt2.21 billion.
Channel 3SD made Bt275 million while 3Family made Bt140 million.
Thai Broadcast, the operator of Workpoint TV, showed total revenue of Bt1.7 billion last year and it has paid Bt33.96 million for the annual licence fee.
Bangkok Broadcasting and Television, the operator of Channel 7HD, reported last year's revenue incurred in the digital terrestrial TV system at Bt1.67 billion and paid Bt33.37 million for the annual licence fee.
After the top 3, RS Channel 8 paid Bt16.34 million for the annual licence fees, calculated on its total revenue of Bt820 million.
GMM Grammy's One 31 paid Bt15.54 million for the annual licence fee, based on its total revenue of Bt780 million.
GMM Grammy's GMM 25 paid an annual licence fee of Bt8.01 million.
For other leading TV broadcasters, Mono Broadcast, the operator of Mono 29, paid Bt12.53 million, True4U Station paid Bt11.68 million, Triple V Broadcast, the operator of Thairath TV, paid Bt9.53 million, and NBC Next Vision, the operator of Nation TV, paid Bt8.06 million.