PTV co-founder Jatuporn Promphan says the fact that anti-Thaksin media mogul Sondhi Limthongkul’s banned ASTV has been allowed to broadcast via the state-run Channel 11 is the major catalyst for his station being established.

Jatuporn and co-founder Veera Musigapong  have quit executive positions in Thai Rak Thai but remain party members.

What's the real intention behind the founding of PTV?

When the government asked all media owners to tone down their reporting, it was an intervention into the people's right to know.

I understand those mass media but we [the co-founders] think the people should have the right to know, especially about information they haven't heard.

So, we agreed that we should start a new TV station to offer a choice to the public. We will report the facts from all angles.

This TV set-up was just an idea until Sondhi Limthongkul's ASTV was allowed to broadcast via Channel 11 of the Public Relations Department (PRD). That was the major catalyst for PTV's establishment.

Was PTV set up to counterattack ASTV?

Yes. I have never seen a plaintiff defend an accused before. PM's Office Minister Thirapat Serirangsan made an arbitrary decision to approve Sondhi's talk show [on Channel 11] even though the government's PRD is in litigation at the Supreme Administrative Court to shut down ASTV.

Sondhi's talk show is biased. It was unacceptable when the PM's Office minister effectively guaranteed Sondhi [to go ahead]. PTV should be given the same chance by the government too.

PTV will employ the same methods as ASTV has done, which is to put its programmes on the Internet and broadcast via satellite. But we will not be biased like them.

Do you think ASTV is run illegally?

If ASTV is operating against the law, why have they been allowed to broadcast via a channel belonging to the PRD, who has sued them?

I believe the ASTV will argue in court that the PRD has effectively endorsed them by allowing them to broadcast via a PRD station.

Is PTV owned by the Thai Rak Thai Party?

No. People may not believe what I say. People know Veera [Musigapong, the station's president] and me are from the TRT, and we have always defended the party for a long time. It's like our trademark. But time will tell. Many politicians have entered the TV business, but why weren't they criticised like us?

Will PTV create disharmony in the country?

No matter whether PTV will be allowed to operate or not, there is no reconciliation in the country. But I can say that PTV will not stir up trouble.

Even though we are likely to oppose the junta because they seized power from the Thai Rak Thai government, I insist that our TV won't create disharmony.

Nonetheless, the Council for National Security and the government are not untouchable. They have to be investigated by the media and PTV will report on the junta's performance to the audience. PTV won't try to oust the CNS and the government - we will just act as media.

What content will be provided by PTV?

PTV is a news station, so we will tell the truth. We will report the facts with no bias. People will see for themselves from our programmes.

Peuan Pong Nong Phi Co [the company that operates PTV] isn't yours, is it?

No, it's not mine. The company was founded in 2002 by a group of Ramkhamhaeng University students who were my juniors in the school. The company then produced print media. When we decided to start the new TV station, we found that it would take a long process to register a new company, so I asked the company's founders to help set up the new station and they agreed.

The company previously had registered capital of Bt5 million, and we have increased the capital to Bt50 million this year. Now, we [the former TRT men] have become the major shareholders.

Where does the capital come from?

We have no big capitalist to support us financially. The money comes from our brotherly friends.

I admit that I have no money, so I borrowed from friends and promised to pay them back when the company makes a profit. Also, some of PTV's executives are businessmen, so we had no need to ask for TRT funding. However, we will also raise funds from the public.