Abstract:
The objectives of this qualitative research are 1) to compare the definition and scope of harmful content for minors between overseas countries and Thailand as well as regulatory experiences on harmful content in TV programs in the two contexts, and 2) to seek a plausible regulatory model and policy recommendations that will help improve regulatory effectiveness in Thailand in the context media convergence. Data collection was carried out through desk research and analysis of related documents on the studied regulation in five countries US, UK, Australia, the Netherlands, and Germany as well as focus group discussion and in-depth interviews with members from three stakeholder groups in Thailand as follows: three broadcasting commissioners and a staff from the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), eight academics and activists in the area of youth and media, and 10 representatives from the Thai TV industry. The research finds a common definition across different regulatory experiences in the overseas on harmful content for minors as content that contains risks in producing negative consequences for the emotion, thoughts, and reasoning of children that are exposed to the content. Common scope of harmful content includes sex, violence, coarse language, and discrimination. Most of the studied countries use co-regulation model in protecting minors from harmful TV content, while prioritizing an informative approach towards regulation, and a consistent improvement of the regulation through seeking of cooperation from multi-stakeholders, and promotion of media literacy to cope with the challenges from media convergence. As for development of TV regulation in Thailand after media reform, the study divides it into two major phases 1) the first phase prior to the establishment of the NBTC (1997-2011) which is characterized by self-regulation of television providers, use of informative approach through content rating by the TV industry, and promotion of positive content; and 2) the 2nd phase (2011-present) which is marked by a prevailing tendency towards statutory regulation by NBTC, using informative, restrictive, and positive content regulatory approaches. The research recommends the following to improve upon harmful TV programs regulation in Thailand under media convergence, 1) initiating a national convergent communication policy, with multi-stakeholder participation, to protect minors emphasizing on positive regulatory approaches alongside promotion of media education and public advocacy, and 2) shifting towards co-regulation in TV program services that are under the NBTCs jurisdiction.