The recent vying for airtime slot of government television network NBT has put Onesongchai promoters in a defensive position.

Live broadcasts of muaythai matches are a lucrative business in Thailand. In addition to the satellite-based channels, all the national terrestrial networks have invested in live broadcast of muaythai.

The Muaythai Jet Si event is broadcasted on Channel Seven network, Suek Chao Muaythai on Channel Three, Lumpini Kirkkrai on Channel Five, Suek Assawain Dam on Channel Nine, and Suek Onesongchai on Channel Eleven, now renamed as the NBT network.

Each of the networks is typically associated with a particular muaythai promoter. They are long-term business partners with the promoter providing matches of the best fighters they could find and the network guaranteeing a prime airtime slot for the event.

The NBT network, however, is an exception. While the other networks are privately operated and generally have consistent policies and management, the NBT is operated by the government and is whole affected by the volatile politics and the bureaucracy.

As the power in NBT network just recently shifted hands, there was reportedly a lobbying attempt to replace the broadcast of Onesongchai event with a show of another muaythai promoter.

The anxious Onesongchai team has put up defense and their leader protégé Priyakorn Rattanasuban had to come out to confirm that the event would still occupy the same NBT airtime slot in the third quarter of 2008.

News: Muaysiam number 1811