On December 26, 2016, National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) permanently revoked the license of the Dhamma Media Channel (DMC.TV) on grounds of it being a threat to the national security of Thailand.
At the request of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), the NBTC temporarily suspended the broadcast of DMC.TV on December 7, 2016 for 30 days, on grounds of promoting obstruction of justice during DSI’s attempts to arrest Ven. Dhammajayo.
According to Section 64 of the Broadcasting Operation Royal Act and Notification No. 97 of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), the commissioners noted that the station’s content is inappropriate for television.
DMC.TV is a 24-hour satellite channel for Buddhism established on May 9th, 2002 that disseminates the teachings of the Buddha in four languages, namely Thai, English, Chinese, and Japanese via the Internet and seven satellites worldwide.
In response to the NBTC’s hasty decision, a former director of a television program broadcasted commentary online pertaining to the complete disregard for legal procedures. Bangkok Post even chimed in via an opinion piece on January 3, 2017 that NTBC was acting outside the rule of law.
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Although the DMC namesake station is no longer permitted to broadcast within Thailand, access to the 24-hour Buddhist programming is still available online via the Global Buddhist Network at Dhammakaya of America.
