The Thai government announced on 14 May 2009 its plan to regulate
the program content of radio stations and cable and satellite TV
stations in the country, media reports said.

The "Bangkok Post" quoted Prime Minister's Office Minister Sathit
Wongnongtoey as saying the government will ban any program, whether
broadcast over community radios or aired over cable and satellite
TVs, that are politically "incendiary" and "offensive", whether
coming from the anti-government red shirt or anti-Thaksin yellow
shirt groups.

Sathit said these are among the proposed regulations that will
enable the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to rein in
the two political groups.

The proposed regulations will require community radio stations,
and cable TV and satellite TV channels to seek permission for each
programme being aired, Sathit said.

''Once the regulations take effect, any broadcast station airing
content deemed to be politically incendiary won't be allowed to
operate,'' he said.

Thai sources who requested anonymity said these tasks are beyond
the NTC's mandate. However, in the absence of a body that would
perform said duties, the commission might end up in charge
implementing these regulations.

Other sources described these proposed regulations as out-and-out
censorship, depriving the audience of access to information.

The "Bangkok Post" said an NTC sub-committee has held public
hearings on the regulations for community radio stations, and would
soon hold hearings for satellite TV stations.

The sub-committee is taking into account suggestions from the
public. Revised regulations are expected in June.

In a related develoment, Sathit said a decision on whether to allow
DStation, the TV channel run by the pro-Thaksin United Front for
Democracy against Dictatorship, to resume broadcasting would depend
on the station's programme content. ''The station would be allowed
to resume operations, if it wants to run general news reports.

''The regulations will be enforced even-handedly against all
satellite stations,'' he added.