Following complaints by TrueVisions subscribers that they could not watch Euro 2012 LIVE, Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission’s (NBTC) broadcasting committee has approved the draft of “must-carry” rules to prevent non-availability of free-TV programmes on some platforms because of copyright restrictions, according to a report by The Nation.

Under the “must-carry” rules, transmission frequencies for radio or television broadcasting and telecommunication are considered national resources for the public interest. Therefore, free-to-air TV operators must be responsible for public broadcasting services on any platform.

Meanwhile, those companies that hold media rights to events like the Euro tournament must be aware of this rule before striking any deals with free-TV operators, reported The Nation. Once NBTC issues licences for digital TV broadcast, network providers must carry public broadcasting services like ThaiPBS. However, network providers will be able to select commercial channels voluntarily, said the report.