MCOT Public Company Limited is a state enterprise under the supervision of the Office of the Prime Minister. It was registered as a public company limited on August 17, 2004 by mean of the privatization from the Mass Communication Organization of Thailand (M.C.O.T) by virtue of the Capital of State Enterprise Act B.E 2542 (1999). On November 17, 2004, MCOT Plc. offered its shares in the initial public offering as a listed company on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. The Company’s mission in its mass communication business operation is to become the ASEAN’s leading fully integrated multimedia organization. The core businesses fully operated by MCOT Plc. involve the television business, radio business, Thai News Agency, radio or television broadcasting facility services, and radio or digital terrestrial television broadcasting network services. MCOT has one subsidiaries; namely, Panorama Worldwide Company Limited. MCOT Plc. has also operated other businesses under joint operation agreements with two private operators; namely, Bangkok Entertainment Company Limited, the operator of Television Channel 3, and True Visions Cable Public Company Limited, an operator of subscription based television.
MCOT Plc. has operated its television business under the analog broadcast system, which is the primary broadcasting technology since the first launch of television business in Thailand. Nevertheless, Modernine TV will continue its broadcasting services under this analog broadcast system up to the middle of June 2018. In 2014, MCOT Plc. has begun the digital terrestrial television broadcasting network services according to frequency licenses for nationwide commercial provision of digital terrestrial television through 2 channels; namely, High Definition (HD) MCOT Variety Channel, and Standard Definition (SD) MCOT Family Channel. The term of such licenses is 15 years, commencing on 25 April 2014 up to 24 April 2029.
Modernine TV
Modernine TV under the analog broadcast system is the key driver of the Company’s business. Its core operations include program production, broadcasting, and broadcasting control for 24 hours a day from its host station in Bangkok to 35 local network stations nationwide, covering 87 percent of areas across the country. The approximate population in those service areas is 88.5 percent.
9 MCOT HD (Channel 30)
9 MCOT Variety HD is a high definition DTT channel in the variety program category on Channel 30. Currently, it simultaneously broadcasts (simulcast) Modernine TV programs according to Modernine TV analog programming schedules. 9 MCOT Variety HD broadcasts through 39 main commercial digital terrestrial channels and at least other 129 additional stations in line with the implementation plan formulated by the Office of The National Broadcasting Telecommunications Commission (NBTC). The broadcast coverage procedure is divided into four phases with the target coverage of at least 95 percent of areas nationwide and of approximately 21 million households within four years (2014-2017).
MCOT Plc. changed its logo identity and station name to be “9 MCOT HD”. The station slogan has been changed since 2015 to be “Discover Happiness” so as to respond to the competition in the digital terrestrial television industry where there have been more competitors who wanted to attract young or working-age viewers. These changes also responded to the media advertising buyers who have tended to buy the media advertising from any television channels focusing on teenage and working-age viewers. Those logo and slogan have been applied up to now. The MCOT recognized and favorite programs included Fulfill All News Issues Program, Hot News Across Time Program, 3 P.M. News Talk Program, Modernine Cartoon, Drama Program-Unlimited Funny Co., Ltd.
Modernine TV and 9 MCOT HD have focused on adding television programs produced by the Company or outsourced certain of programs to other companies with expertise in the production of specific programs while Modernine TV and 9 MCOT HD have completely controlled such production or have been entitled to the advertising sales in those programs either in SPOT or Tie-in. Modernine TV and 9 MCOT HD have also retained the absolute right in the possession of program contents and styles, which may be developed for their digital business. The program scheduling strategy has been adjusted as well by broadcasting the foreign documentary program during the prime time or by joining hands with some strong alliances to present the programs at 9 MCOT HD, etc. As of December 2016, the programs produced by MCOT Plc. accounted for 70.95 percent of the channel’s total programs. The air time percentages based on program categories are as follows:
| News and situation report | 32.38% |
| Entertainment and drama | 28.88% |
| Knowledge and information | 16.74% |
| Edutainment | 9.82% |
| Program promotion and others | 7.98% |
| Sports | 4.21% |
For news program, The Thai News Agency has shaped its news presentation style with a focus on promptness, comprehensiveness and accuracy in forms of general news, news documentaries, interviews with persons related to hot news, live news reports and special scoops covering both headline news and topical issues. The production of news program and situation report has been more adjusted. News scoop and new viewpoint of news photos have been created by using new shooting equipment, e.g. objective camera, action camera, drone in order to have the bird eye view photos that were different and beautiful. The social media has been more utilized for more presentation channel. The special news report has been presented via online media, e.g. Facebook Live to retain interactions with the viewers and to add viewers for news and entertainment programs. The international news produced by leading and internationally accepted news agencies has been presented so that the viewers of Modernine TV and 9 MCOT HD received all movements and events around the world rapidly and accurately. The Thai News Agency has also assigned the news reporting team to various countries to report any interesting news to Thai people. In addition, MCOT Plc. and Panorama Worldwide Co., Ltd. have mutually produced a television program, “Hot News Across Time, which presented past hot news and contents and added more value of significant news resources. This program became one of favorite programs among viewers.
Moreover, several in-house television programs produced by Nine Entertain Business Department of MCOT Plc. have been so popular and generated more revenues for the Company such as Nine Entertain broadcast on Monday-Friday at 11.30 – 12.00 hrs., Tok Mun Bun Teung broadcast on Monday-Friday at 16.00 – 16.30 hrs., and EX Entertainment Express broadcast on Monday-Friday at 17.40 – 18.00 hrs., etc. The programs’ strengths lie in its presentation styles focusing on informative, creative and impartial entertainment and edutainment reports. The program production is based on MCOT Plc.’s full capacity and technologies to ensure the most up-to-date contents delivered to viewers promptly. Moreover, MCOT Plc. is the leader of entertainment news coverage and constantly provokes hot issues to the public’s eye. MCOT Plc. also used mobile satellite broadcast vehicles for live reporting of entertainment news for prompt and convenient viewing. In addition, MCOT Plc. has expanded the viewer base to new generation viewers via www.nineentertain.tv and www.facebook.com/9entertain. The entertainment clips have been broadcast via www.youtube.com. The main channel was www.facebook.com/9entertain with page likes over 3.9 million persons or an increase of 1 million persons from the year 2015. This deemed the entertainment news most viewed in the social media.
MCOT Family Channel (Channel 14)
MCOT Family is a standard definition (SD) in DTT system on Channel 14 in the category of children, youth and family. The channel produces and broadcasts constructive contents focusing on edutainment, knowledge and information that are inspiring for children and youth aged between 4-12 years, and also suitable for housewives and family members.
In 2016, MCOT Plc. has remained to revamp program scheduling on MCOT Family channel to help encourage both knowledge and entertainment in the family, and to be channel presenting under the key concept of “Growing Smart with MCOT FAMILY: Fun and Creative for a Bright Future” Under this concept, the quality programs containing both entertainment and contents for 6Q’s of child development have been presented, which are:
The own programs on MCOT Family Channel 14 as of December 2016 accounted for 78.58 percent of the total programs broadcast on the channel. The broadcast percentages based on program categories are:
| Entertainment | 36.51% |
| Edutainment | 24.14% |
| Public services | 15.58% |
| News and news breaks | 12.77% |
| Edutainment | 11.00% |
The programs delicately selected and broadcast via MCOT Family channel included “Mom Club”, a variety program presenting stories of love and care to women for the role of “motherhood” through 3 mother hosts.
MCOT Family channel has utilized its expertise in selecting cartoon programs from other countries and business alliances in order to present favorite and classic cartoon programs, e.g. “Davinci Learning”, a knowledge program for children, “Seasame Street”, an English-teaching cartoon, and other news program “Duo News Talks”, which is suitable and harmless for family members.
MCOT Plc. fully operates the entire structure of radio business, including production, marketing and management. Under the slogan, “MCOT Radio Network: Modern Sounds of Creative Knowledge-Based Society,” MCOT Plc. broadcasts a wide variety of informative and entertaining radio programs carefully designed to educate and improve the quality of life of the listeners, and to offer public services to local communities and society at large under an image of modern radio station network. MCOT nationwide radio network consists of 62 central and regional radio stations broadcasting in FM and AM formats. Bangkok is the base station of the central area broadcasting through 9 radio stations-7 FM and 2 AM stations-covering service areas in Bangkok and adjacent provinces. The other 53 FM radio stations are located in other provinces across the country covering 92.4 percent of the national area. The population in the target service areas is 93.8 percent.
Apart from traditional radio frequency channels directly broadcast via each MCOT radio station, MCOT radio stations have provided radio programs through other channels, either live streaming or recorded, for local and international audiences on the Internet at www.mcot.net or through MCOT Application on smartphones. Most radio programs are also available on major social networks such as YouTube and Facebook.
The Order No. 76/2559 by Head of the National Council for Peace and Order regarding Measures for Promoting Business Operation of Radio Broadcast, Television and Telecommunication for Public Interest defines that the government entities, state enterprises or government agencies, which have operated the broadcast business in accordance with the Broadcasting and Television Business Operations Act of 2008 that have possessed the spectrum in accordance with the Act on Organization for Allocation of Frequencies and Supervision of Broadcasting and Telecommunications Business B.E. 2553 retain the rights in the operation of radio broadcast, and the spectrum possession shall be under the same scope and rights; this enabled the Company to continue its radio broadcast service under the same frequencies.
The MCOT central FM and AM radio stations Each MCOT radio station formulates its position and specific target audiences explicitly. The production and presentation formats or format station of each are as follows:
MCOT Local Radio Stations MCOT Plc. defines that the regional radio networks produce programs for local radio stations. The production and presentation format is based on public and local interest. Each program contains both knowledge and entertainment (edutainment), and allows public participation. The programs may be categorized into 3 as follows:
Moreover, MCOT Plc. has initiated a cluster production format to create region-specific programs for local listeners. Cluster stations present local programs that are fresh and unique. The program popularity is added by producing a program by a local radio station, which would be broadcast in other local radio stations in the same region. Major station clusters are as follows:
The Thai News Agency is the Company’s center for production, collection, storage and dissemination of neutral, accurate, reliable and timely news and information based on professional standards. Its contents are delivered through different media channels operated by MCOT Plc., including MCOT television and radio networks, electronic and online digital media, social media and SMS via mobile phones, and news exchange with foreign alliances. The Agency is one of centers sharing and distributing Thai news to countries around the world.
Currently, The Thai News Agency offers an appropriate proportion of Thai and international news in forms of general news, news documentaries, interviews with persons related to issues of current interest, live reports, and special scoops. The Thai News Agency has regional offices located in four regions: Central and Eastern News Center, Northern News Center at Chiang Mai province, Northeastern News Center at Khon Khen province, Southern News Center at Hat Yai District in Songkhla province.
The international news have been mainly delivered and cooperated by the world’s recognized and reliable news agencies and international media such as Agence France Press (AFP), Associated Press (AP), Associated Press Television News (APTN), Sport News Television (SNTV), China Central Television (CCTV), Deutsche Welle Germany, Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK), Reuters and Reuters TV.
In addition, The Thai News Agency is a member of ASIAVISION, a network for exchanging TV news among 30 TV stations from 28 countries. The network directly feeds news from country members for broadcasting in Thailand and vice versa. ASIAVISION is the news source of The Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), which is a partner of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU). The Thai News Agency is also a member of The Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA), which provides direct news exchange among 44 members from 35 countries.
The foreign news unit of the Thai News Agency plays a major role in ASIAVISION, both in management and prompt exchange of interesting news and information from Thailand. In 2016, the Thai News Agency received the AVN Monthly Award on August.
Apart from international news alliances, the Thai News Agency has participated in the ASEAN Exchange and Cooperation Project with news agencies of other ASEAN member countries, i.e. Lao PDR, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia and Brunei.
The Thai News Agency provides news services through various media as described below.
Television
Live news reporting programs produced by the Thai News Agency are:
Radio
Digital media, e.g. online media (website), social media SMS via mobile phone news service, etc.
The provision of radio or television broadcasting facility services allows linkage system for transmitters or radio or television broadcast used for distributing public news and information or station programs, regardless of types of transmission media conducted media, frequency, spectrum, electromagnetic or others.
For radio or digital terrestrial television (DTT) broadcasting network services, MCOT Plc. has installed equipment for providing DTT broadcasting services in the Second Generation Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting System (DVB-T2) in compliance with the NBTC’s notification. The DVB-T2 technology is widely selected by leading network providers overseas. The equipment for television signal transmission consists of devices for compressing and compiling audio, visual and data signals into one batch before transmitting it to the destination networks under DVB-T2 standard. These services necessarily require:
Such license adds business opportunities to MCOT Plc. as the sole mass communication business operator to provide fully integrated digital television services. This advantage becomes another revenue generating channel for MCOT Plc. The provision of digital television network services began in April 2014 with the service capacity for 6 Standard Definition channels and 2 High Definition channels. Nevertheless, the number of channels and service rates must be revised when any channel operators select High Definition services. The target clients of MCOT Plc. are:
Currently, MCOT Plc. provides its services for commercial DTT channels via the national digital terrestrial spectrum to the following operators:
MCOT Plc. completes the installation of 39 main stations of the national DTT network and the installation of at least 129 supplementary stations is on process. This work is divided into 4 phases aiming to cover 95 percent of the national area and serve approximately 21 million households nationwide within 4 years (2014-2017).
Regarding radio or television broadcasting facility services, MCOT Plc. has improved its existing facilities by investing more on several devices to support services for its own digital network, and has laid out a service provision plan to support other network operators who depend on facility leasing.
Satellite TV services in C band / True Visions and Ku band
MCOT Plc. has managed its satellite TV channels in C band / True Visions and Ku band as follows:
Digital media business
The website at URL: www.mcot.net is a new tool for viewing a variety of MCOT programs, either live or recorded programs, and on-demand programs broadcast through Modernine, 9 MCOT HD, MCOT Family, MCOT Global, MCOT Media Bank, and radio stations under MCOT RADIO Network via internet. The website is also a channel publicizing the businesses operated by MCOT Plc. and joint business organizations. MCOT Plc. has also initiated more marketing activities on online media by expanding the viewer base from the traditional media to the digital media and social media.
In 2016, MCOT Plc. has prioritized the digital business development as another channel of revenue earning; for example, development of shop website (mcotglobal.com) as the intermediate of selling MCOT television programs and content alliances to the global market, development of videos belonged to MCOT Plc. and its alliances (MCOT Media Bank) as a source of compiling and trading the media/videos for the customers who were the global production houses and television stations via web commerce, system development to access into seminar and recreation events via MCOT Digital Hall that is a service platform for entertainment and edutainment in respect with concerts, seminars, conferences, and events through online ticket selling system, and development of television commerce system to create the business opportunity as linked to other traditional media channels, e.g. radio, television, and MMDS system, etc.
MCOT Talent Management
MCOT Talent Manager is core division responsible for scouting and grooming talents, either in front of or behind the scene, in the fields of entertainment/mass media, for managing artists under the supervision of MCOT Plc., and for taking care of artists’ image to allow certain talented artists to develop their roles and abilities in the entertainment field in the intense-competition digital TV era such as program hosts, anchors, performing artists, and actors as well as product presenters and working for other areas in the entertainment field. Currently, the artists under the supervision of MCOT Plc. have launched their works in music, drama and movie, etc., which reaffirms the role of MCOT Plc. as the leading mass communication organization in Thailand. MCOT Talent Management Division is also in charge of creating a variety of activities, and organizing sales promotion activities as well as image promotion events with mutual aims at producing premium works to satisfy clients under a reasonable budget, and at generating revenues for MCOT Plc. when the clients obtain the most pleasing and impressive works. In 2016, MCOT Plc. has commenced the operation of two non-broadcast businesses; namely, MCOT Creative Travel, which is the tourism business together with the program promotion activities, and intellectual property business for better opportunity of revenue earning, and the highest business interest for MCT program production and broadcast.
MCOT Academy
MCOT Academy is the mass media training institute of MCOT Plc. for generating revenues from non-broadcast businesses under the name of “MCOT Academy”. It has been equipped by a large group of qualified and experienced professionals as well as knowledge base in mass media, which are internal resources of MCOT Plc. MCOT Academy provides a wide range of mass media training courses designed for mass media professionals and other persons interested in mass media for their preparedness, knowledge acquisition, and professional skill development in mass media and other related fields. Apart from some specific curriculums of MCOT Academy, in 2016, MCOT Academy formulated 6 new programs (from 8 programs in total); namely, “Techniques of Giving Interviews to Radio and Television Media” program, “News Creation for Public Relations” program, “Intensive English Master of Ceremony” program, “Learning English with MCOT ACADEMY” program at New Zealand, “Professional Telephone Operator” program, and “Public Relations for Insurance Officials” program, which all have been designed for targeted clients including government and private organizations. Besides, the National Broadcasting Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) and MCOT Plc. signed a Memorandum of Understanding on training courses for radio and television anchors with an aim at promoting and improving personnel’s competency in the radio and television broadcasting business. MCOT Academy provides such curriculum in 3 levels, e.g. Radio and Television Anchors in elementary, intermediate, and advanced levels, two classes for each level. This project under the Memorandum of Understanding between both agencies would continue up to 2016.
Subsidiaries
Panorama Worldwide Company Limited
Panorama Worldwide Company Limited was established on November 21, 2003 as a subsidiary of MCOT Plc. holding 49 percent of the total shares. The subsidiary is a producer and distributor of television programs and documentaries for local and international television stations, cable TV stations, satellite TV stations and digital TV stations. It also produces video and public relations materials for public and private sectors, and sells stock footages to documentaries producers in Thailand and on abroad.
Panorama Worldwide is a well-known quality documentaries production house run by highly skilled and knowledgeable teams with almost 20 years of experience in the field. It has produced a wide range of documentaries and public relations materials since 2003 up to now. Although the documentary programs may contain the huge amount of information, and be attended by a small group of audiences, they have been improved for more interesting and attractive presentation, which inspires audiences to view the new-style documentary programs until they have gradually received better response from audiences. Meanwhile, the amount of producers for this type of documentary programs is few. Under low competition, Panorama Worldwide gets a big opportunity to gain more TV documentaries program market via Free TV and Cable TV.
The core businesses of Panorama Worldwide as the production house for documentaries programs can be divided as follows:
In 2016, MCOT Plc. has implemented the plan to add new services to be in line with its existing services. These new services build and develop MCOT personnel to gain more experience and to gain additional revenues in the future. The new services include:
SeedMCOT Company Limited
This company was established on November 18, 2009 as a subsidiary of MCOT Plc. holding 49 percent of the total shares. The subsidiary operates all types of entertainment businesses, for example, production of radio and television programs, films, music and digital products, development and distribution of premium products, and organization of concerts, musicals and fashion shows, etc. In 2016, the major works of SeedMCOT Co., Ltd. were as follows:
However, SEED MCOT Co., Ltd. (FM 97.5 MHz) has suffered some loss since 2014 and its situation seemed worse. Therefore, in the meeting of the Board of Directors, No. 16/2016 on November 22, 2016 passed the resolution to dissolve SEED MCOT Co., Ltd. (FM 97.5 MHz), a subsidiary of MCOT Plc., due to the problem of liquidity in business operation as affected by sharp decline of revenues when the targeted audiences have changed their behavior. This radio frequency would be operated by the efficient management of MCOT Plc., but some presentation style would be improved to fit to the changing consumer behavior.
Joint Operation Business
MCOT Plc. has entered into joint operation agreements with private operators, earning revenues in the form of reward from 2 main joint businesses, as follows:
