Business Overview

Radio Business

MCOT Radio Network broadcasts a wide variety of informative and entertaining radio programs. The network consists of 62 central and regional radio stations broadcasting in FM and AM frequencies. Bangkok is the base station of the central area broadcasting around the clock through 9 radio stations (7 FM and 2 AM stations), covering service areas in Bangkok and neighboring provinces. The other 53 FM radio stations are located in provinces across the country covering 92.4% of areas nationwide. The population in the target service areas is 93.8%.

MCOT Plc. has operated the radio business by itself, which includes the production, marketing, and management of broadcasting various programs containing various formats of information and entertainment under the name of “MCOT Radio Network: Modern Network, New Pace of Wisdom-based Creative Society”. The Company’s radio network aims to improve the knowledge and quality of life of general people, and for public interest and local people. The radio network covers and accesses to listeners at all ages and genders in every target group. Based on the image of modernized radio stations, every program of MCOT radio stations can be listened via radio and other channels for listeners in the country and on abroad. Either live programs or recorded programs of each station can be selected via internet at www.mcot.net and via the application installed on the smart mobile phone. These radio programs are also integrated with the social network communication channels, e.g., YouTube, Facebook, etc.

In February 2022, MCOT offered the highest auction fee for 47 frequencies consisting of 6 frequencies in Bangkok and vicinity including FM 95.0 Mhz, FM 99.0 (Active Radio), FM 96.5 MHz, FM 100.5 MHz (MCOT News Network), FM 107.0 MHz and FM 105.5 MHz , and 41 frequencies in regional areas. After the auction, MCOT have revised Mellow’s business plan focusing on online platform and event marketing for idol community.

Central Radio Stations

MCOT Plc. produces and presents its FM radio programs in 6 central stations by delivering various informative and updated contents as well as all styles of popular songs by program hosts who are experts in every field, and well-known new-gen program hosts. These stations focus on audiences in all target groups at all ages and gender. The service areas cover Bangkok and vicinity. Each MCOT radio station formulates its positioning and specific target audiences explicitly as follows:

• FM 95 MHz-“LTM FM 95 MHz Look Thung Maha Nakhon”: The station presents Thai country music in a new light, feeding a variety of knowledge and contents. The station was ranked No. 1 most popular radio station across the whole range of target groups for all ages and genders. The programs are presented by new-gen program hosts, well-recognized program hosts, national artists, senior music master, singers, and general people, who are modern, informative, warm, and close to listeners. The service areas extend from Bangkok and suburban areas to other provinces around the country via satellite broadcast to MCOT provincial radio networks nationwide. From constant operational improvements in terms of program and presentation formats and marketing activity designs to raise the station’s popularity and maintain target audience base, this station has been ranked No. 1 of top 40 popular radio stations in Bangkok.
• FM 96.5 MHz-“Thinking Radio 96.5”: In-Depth Contents, Profound Thought, Direction to Success: The leading thinking media station that has been acceptable and reliable among leaders in every field on every platform. The station is a center gathering over 100 leading thinkers with different expertise to analyze all important circumstances in politics, economy, society, foreign affairs, technology, and even life balance under the concept of “SURVIVED, SUCCESS and SUSTAINABILITY”, broadcast around the clock.
• FM 99.0 MHz-“Active Radio”: Thailand Strong Station: This strong Thailand radio station presents useful programs on sports, tourism, health and recreation activities under a concept of promoting physical and mental well-being of Thais, and happiness in recreation activities. This station has the unique presentation characteristics. It gathers over 100 sports gurus of Thailand, and is suitable for listeners at all ages and gender regarding sports and health. As FM 99 MHz delivers both content and entertainment, this station has been highly favored by people who appreciate sports, and care for health. In addition, on 20.00 – 22.00 hrs., Monday – Sunday, the programs of this station are broadcast via satellite network to MCOT provincial radio stations across the country to enable Thai listeners of MCOT radio stations to listen to and monitor local and foreign sports movements, and to obtain some information about health and recreation activities simultaneously with other listeners in Bangkok and vicinity.
• FM 100.5 MHz - “MCOT News FM 100.5”: It is the news & talk radio station, first operated on February 1, 1993 up to now under mass media mission of realizing the social responsibility. Thus, this station always presents factual, accurate, rapid, constructive, timely, and reliable news, which arouses the awareness of social responsibility, and shifts the quality of life of people. This station is a leading radio station of the country, which produces the quality news programs broadcast all day, and monitors and investigates all news. It intends to be a national mass media network, and a mediate to give any warning and social support in collaboration with The Thai News Agency that is the news producer of the station, news reporters, volunteer news reporters, local and foreign media alliance network, program hosts, academics, and leading news experts of the country. The theme of this radio station is “Fast and Trusted News”.

• FM 107 MHz-“MET 107”: An international music station broadcasting newly released and hot hit music in conjunction with hip and trendy lifestyles under the slogan, “For Life and Music”. The contents are presented in both Thai and English languages. It also broadcasts news contents from several global news agencies like BBC.

  The broadcasting of MCOT radio stations covers areas nationwide, comprising 4 FM radio stations in Bangkok where are the station base of broadcasting to the other 53 provincial radio stations in different periods as specified below.

  • FM 95 MHz “LTM FM 95 MHz Look Thung Maha Nakorn”
  • FM 96.5 MHz (Kluen Kam Kid)
  • FM 99 MHz “Active Radio Strong Thailand”
  • FM 100.5 MHz “MCOT News FM 100.5”

  Early-hour news are broadcast every day for 13 breaks, 8 minutes per each, and Koh Tid Kao at the mid of each hour

  Business plan revision after auction

• “Mellow” Content for IDOL Community: A source of people admiring IDOL songs like K-POP, J-POP, and T-POP, and other fan clubs of Chinese and Korean series. The station has also provided the stage and activities promoting the creative presentation and competence of Thai youth admiring IDOL and TPOP styles to the public; updated news relating to Korean musical regime including IDOL, girl groups, boy bands, Korean artists, online live show or MV as well as in-depth interesting information about Korean and Chinese entertainment regime; and given chance to IDOL fan clubs to promote and update stories of artists they favored, exclusive activities, and any fan club meetings.

MCOT Provincial Radio Stations

MCOT Plc. defines that the provincial radio stations will be local radio stations of each province where the program production and presentation format are based on public and local interest. Each program must contain both knowledge and entertainment (edutainment), and allows public participation. The programs may be categorized into 3 as follows:

1. Local Programs designed with local interest, such as “MCOT for Communities”, which allow listeners to raise opinions and complaints.
2. National Network Programs: The news program of the Thai News Agency was also broadcast from the host station FM 100.5 MHz to every MCOT provincial station across the country at the top of each hour.
3. Nationwide programs: A radio production project for simultaneous broadcasting nationwide to connect listeners around the country with various sources of news and information promptly and seamlessly.
4. The Company has also developed the program production of the provincial radio stations in the cluster form. To boost outstanding characteristics and popularity of programs, the radio stations in such administration center will produce the programs by rotation for broadcasting on those radio stations, including:
   • Northern Radio Administration Center
   • Northeastern Radio Administration Center
   • Central and Eastern Radio Administration Center
   • Southern Radio Administration Center

Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting Network Business

MCOT Plc. is one of four operators who have been awarded for the television broadcasting facility services license, and terrestrial television broadcasting network and facility services license under DVB-T2 standards (Second Generation Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting System) for 1 MUX. These enable MCOT Plc. to provide 8 national television channels as follows:

• 6 Standard Definition (SD) digital terrestrial television channels
• 2 High Definition (HD) digital terrestrial television channels

MCOT Plc. has expanded the digital terrestrial television broadcasting network by installing the network and facilities in 39 main stations and 129 additional stations as listed below to cover over 95.1 percent of households since June 15, 2017 in accordance with the requirement of the NBTC so that the general people could watch through the television with DBV-T2 in the built-in tuner, and through the set top box.

MCOT Plc. has provided the national digital terrestrial television broadcasting services based on the following channels:

1. High-definition digital television stations
   • 9 MCOT HD, Channel 30 operated by MCOT Plc.
   • Thairath TV, Channel 32 operated by Triple V Broadcast Company Limited
2. Standard-definition digital television stations
   • Senate Channel, Channel 10 operated by The Secretariat of the House of Representatives.
3. Standard-definition digital television stations
   • Sports and Tourism Channel, T Sport 7 operated by the Sports Authority of Thailand.

Digital and New Business

Digital Business

The digital media of MCOT Plc. is an alternative channel to watch various programs, either live or recorded broadcasting to be watched on demand via 9 MCOT HD, Channel 30 under the digital media archives and MCOT RADIO Network of MCOT Plc. through the internet and other platforms. This is also the channel of publicizing the business of the Company and joint business organizations. The marketing promotion activities are also done on the online media by expanding the number of audiences from the conventional media to the digital media. The social media is a channel used for public relation activities.

TV Shopping (Shop Mania)

MCOT utilizes advertising time to add business value. Advertising time is managed for promotion of products in collaboration with partners and distributors. MCOT shares revenue for selling the products. In 2022, MCOT plans to sell its own products on Shop Mania platform to increase revenue.

Business Content

MCOT licenses its content domestically and internationally, in collaboration with partners and producers. The purpose of this business is to expand the business into OTT platform. MCOT shares revenue with the partners and distributors.

Online Photos and VDO Distribution (The Shot)

Valuable news photos and footages that are the assets of MCOT are distributed online on https://theshot.mcot.net/ They are rare and taken at significant events. This business is developed to be a new source of revenue for MCOT.

MCOT ACADEMY and Artist Management Business

MCOT Plc. institutes MCOT ACADEMY Unit as an academic and training institute. The main mission is to arrange the mass media training to prepare and develop knowledge and professional skills for university students, mass media operators, and general people so that they have the quality and standards to work in the mass media field or other related fields. MCOT ACADEMY also joins hands with many educational institutes to develop the mass media academic knowledge and profession together.

MCOT Plc. also establishes a working unit to administrate and improve the artists who would be promoted to perform works as the master of ceremony, program host, news reporter to support the internal media of MCOT Plc., and to acquire some revenues in the same woks from the mass communication business and entertainment business outside the organization.

MCOT ACADEMY has provided training programs as following:

• “Public Relations Strategy in the Digital Age” program
• “Radio Program Production” program
• “Giving Interviews to Mass Media for Senior Executives” program
• “Writing to Communicate with the Community” program
• “Reporters in the Broadcasting and Television Business” program
• Academic activities for education and social services for example, arrangement of special lectures regarding mass communications to university students in many institutes, or provision of lecturers to educate educational institutes or external organizations.