The move came after several companies withdrew advertising from TV programmes hosted by Sorrayuth, as media profession bodies, academics and anti-corruption advocates urged him to step down and demonstrate responsibility after the Criminal Court sentenced him to 13 years and four months in prison on Monday (Feb 29).
“Starting this evening [March 3], I quit my duty as a TV host to prevent any impact on Channel 3, and to make everyone happy. Thanks to the Channel 3 family. Thanks to the fans. Thanks for the support. Until we meet again,” Sorrayuth wrote on his @sorrayuth9111 Instagram account.
Sorrayuth hosted his morning news talk programme yesterday but Teera Tanyapaibul took over with other co-hosts for the evening news show.
The News Broadcasting Council of Thailand, the Thai Journalists Association and the Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand were among critics calling on him to end his news anchor role. Saha Group, the country’s largest consumer product conglomerate, began pulling adverts from his programmes after the court ruling.
A Channel 3 source said the channel’s executives would not find anyone to replace Sorrayuth to host his news programmes. The channel’s management has allowed Sorrayuth’s news team to decide how to handle the programmes themselves, the source said.
The programmes hosted by Sorrayuth are Rueng Lao Chao Nee morning news, the news talk programme Rueng Den Yen Nee (The Top Story This Evening), and the Rueng Lao Sao Arthit news talk show on Saturdays and Sundays.
The public relations section of Total Access Communication Plc yesterday said that the company has withdrawn sponsorship for three TV programmes produced by Rai Som Co and hosted by Sorrayuth, a DTAC public relations source said.
According to Dailynews Online, Thanat Thanakitamnuay, the son of Kitti Thanakitamnuay, chief executive of SET-listed property developer Noble Development Plc, also confirmed the company had withdrawn advertising from all of Sorrayuth’s programmes.
Mr Thanat said the company would not advertise with Channel 3 until the channel takes Sorrayuth off the air. He said his father has taken a stance against corruption and that the company will not support any media outlets, programmes or show hosts who are involved in graft.
According to Dailynews Online, the Government Savings Bank will not renew a contract to buy advertising space on Sorrayut’s programmes as part of efforts to uphold good governance standards.
Prasarn Marukpitak, a former National Reform Council member, yesterday said Sorrayuth’s decision to step down demonstrates that social sanctions play a crucial role in upholding ethical standards. Khunying Porntip Rojanasunan, who is a spokesman for the National Reform Steering Assembly, yesterday stressed the need for the media to be accountable to society, adding that social sanctions against corruption must be sustained and strengthened.
Following Sorrayuth’s decision to step down, Pitchayatun Chanphut, or Nong Bright, his co-host on the morning news talks programme, wrote on her Instagram account giving Sorrayuth her moral support. Sorrayuth is not only her colleague, but also like a brother, she said.
“I will wait for the day when I co-host the programme with you again to make our news family perfect as before,” she said.
Meanwhile, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) will meet 26 TV operators next Thursday (Mar 10) to discuss ethical standards in the wake of the Sorrayuth controversy. The meeting will be the first of its kind called by the telecom and broadcast regulator, said commissioner Supinya Klangnarong.
She hopes that commitments from all participants will be made and that guidelines will be issued to all broadcasting channels to follow in the future if similar cases occur again.
Social pressure has never been so strong on the media, she said. If media organisations fail to regulate themselves, she fears that a portion of society will seek state intervention to impose sanctions.
She added that the Sorrayuth case highlighted the varying ethical standards between different operators. While some channels may temporarily take their anchors off air after a complaint is filed against them, others may wait longer or take no action at all, she said.
Ms Supinya called for a thorough discussion among channel executives to determine their code of conduct, arguing that it would create peer pressure, thus raising ethical standards in the longer run.
The public is also wondering why some media personalities have been targeted while others have been let off the hook, she said.
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