People's Television - PTV - founded by two Thai Rak Thai members Veera Musigapong and Jatuporn Promphan, and ASTV, a news station owned by media tycoon Sondhi Limthongkul's Manager Group, have many things in common.

For a start, their founders are antagonistic. What's more, PTV appears to have intentionally followed every footstep of Sondhi's ASTV.

Neither operator established TV stations in Thailand nor operated satellites. Although they produce their programmes here, they have them transmitted via satellite outside Thai territory to cable TV operators inside the country.

Viewers who own an ASTV satellite dish will also be able to watch the PTV channel and vice versa. They can also watch the "Muang Thai Rai Sap Da" (Thailand Weekly) programme, which was very popular at the peak of Sondhi's campaign against Thaksin, via the Manager website.

Operators of PTV are also preparing to broadcast their programmes via Internet in case their followers can't afford its satellite dish. However, as a satellite dish costs about Bt5,000 to Bt6,000, the PTV management couldn't help using a TRT-type populist policy by offering viewers an easy down-payment plan to buy the dish.

PTV intends to schedule Veera's political commentary under the name "Arai Arai Kor Karn Muang" (It's all about politics) to clash with the most popular ASTV talk show "Yam Fao Pandin" hosted by Sondhi from 8pm to 9.30 pm.

Further, PTV plans to offer shares to the public. Anyone who wants to subscribe can come to its office and register - the same deal as ASTV.

During his anti-Thaksin campaign, Sondhi urged people both here and abroad to buy ASTV shares despite being a non-listed company.

Although both stations share many of the same features, there is one obvious exception: One station belongs to the anti-Thaksin camp and the other has been founded by Thaksin's supporters.

Obviously, it is hard to believe that any programme from either station will be neutral and if PTV finally goes on air as planned, it's likely that any reconciliation in Thailand will not take place in the foreseeable future.

Veera and Jatuporn earlier quit their party's executive positions in order to run the TV station to publicly defy the government and the junta. The two founders realised they had nothing to lose, so they will use an eye-for-an-eye policy to challenge the state authority.

It will be interesting to see how the state handles PTV's first programme today.

While the government has vowed to file charges, the founders of PTV have insisted they will go ahead with their launch.

As ASTV is allegedly being operated against the law - but has been allowed by the government to air its programmes on Channel 11 - the founders of PTV claim they should be treated on par with Sondhi's station.

It is now up to the government and the Council for National Security (CNS) to deal with the challenge. If they deal with the new station in an aggressive manner, they will be accused of having double standards, and the worst thing the government and the CNS can be accused of is being anti-democratic and gagging the media - the same way Thaksin did.

Or, the government could opt for the suggestion in the recent Suan Dusit poll in which people said the state should close both stations to end the controversy and help bring about reconciliation in the country.

If that happens, Thaksin's men may have the last laugh as they would have finally got rid of their enemy - Sondhi.

The TRT has already won the first round against Sondhi as late as on Tuesday night when he withdrew his programme from Channel 11 just before PTV was set to launch its first programme today.

Sucheera Pinijparakarn

The Nation