Politics on the air

By Penchan Charoensuthipan

Paisarn Pikhokham of the Northern People's Media Network said community radio operators in his group wanted political unity, just like other people.

He is one of just many operators of community radio stations in the North and Northeast have shrugged off claims that they are mouthpieces of political groups.

They were not mouthpieces of any political elements or groups with vested interests, he said.

However, he admitted that certain community radio operators may be politically inclined, particularly some of those in Chiang Mai, which is a stronghold of the Thai Rak Thai party founded by ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Earlier, the Saturday Voice Against Dictatorship group said it would contact community radio stations in the North and Northeast to help spread its anti-coup message.

The move followed the closure of a community radio station in Bangkok which aired a live telephone interview with Mr Thaksin last week.

The FM 87.75 station was raided and closed down after the Public Relations Department, the regulator of community radio stations, found that it had no licence to operate.

The department also ordered drastic measures against the stations which aired comments by Mr Thaksin, for national security reasons.

Besides the FM 87.75 community radio station, Mr Thaksin called the FM 92.75 taxi drivers' community radio and the internet radio station run by the Saturday Voice Against Dictatorship website.

Mr Paisarn urged operators and hosts of all community radio stations to put the interests of people and society above personal benefit.

Natawat Intharawong, secretary-general of the Federation of the Northeast Community Radio Stations, said members of his group had not been asked to broadcast any political messages.

Media reform activists yesterday submitted a letter to constitution writer Chirmsak Pinthong to oppose the planned merger of the National Telecommunications Commission and the National Broadcasting Commission.

They argued that this could undermine efforts to ensure a fair allocation of broadcast frequencies.

An agency was needed to regulate and allocate frequencies to community radio stations, they said