Thailand’s digital terrestrial TV (DTT) channel, Bright TV, has taken a major bet on Philippines’ content, scooping up more than 1,000 hours of drama from the Philippines’ two leading producers to drive prime-time daily schedules.

It’s the happy part of a broad DTT landscape that has been plagued by financial woes, accusations of broken regulatory promises, and legal action in a bid to force a situation some licence holders say will make life as one of 24 commercial operators a whole lot easier.

Which may be true (for some), but Bangkok-based listed Thai broadcast/distribution company, JKN Global Media, isn’t hanging around carry placards and marching for relief for DTT partner, Bright TV.

Instead, JKN’s high-stepping chief executive, Anne Jakrajutatip, is on a roll, talking about being part of media transformation and innovation in Thailand as well as globally, revelling in the opportunities opened up with the company’s IPO at the end of last year, celebrating the company’s eighth birthday on 14 March, and shepherding its own cable/satellite channel, JKN Dramax, through its switch from an Asian entertainment agenda to a fully Indian slate from 1 April 2018.

With programming supplied by JKN, the three-year-old Bright TV kicked off its Philippines’ initiative in March with romanceCarmela(2014) stripped across early evenings and 2014 family dramaThe Legal Wifein prime time.

The slot targeting young people and housewives runs from 5pm-6pm on Mondays to Fridays (with reruns Mondays to Thursdays at 11.30pm-12.30am and Fridays at 11pm-12am).

The second slot runs from 9.30pm-10.30pm on Mondays to Fridays and offers an alternative to the Thai drama running on other channels.

The Pinoy slate is driven by the 1,000+ hours/40+ titles output deal signed between JKN and Philippines’ two prime producers, GMA Worldwide and ABS-CBN, for Bright TV.

Titles includeAng Dalawang Mrs. Real (The Other Mrs. Real)from ABS-CBN,Bridges of Love(ABS-CBN),My Faithful Husband(GMA) andBeautiful Strangers(GMA). Philippines series were chosen because “besides having similar facial features, the content of the series resonates with Thai family and culture,” Jakrajutatip says.

The Philippines’ foray follows its success with drama series from India, Korea, Japan and Hollywood as part of a mixed-genre schedule that also includes news and talk shows. In addition to the two Philippines’ series, Bright TV also strips long-running Indian seriesLord Shiva (aka Devon Ke Dev Mahadev)from 8pm to 9.30pm on Mondays to Fridays.

Is JKN’s bet on growing cross-border tastes paying off? An increase in profits of more than 14% to THB187.67 million/US$6 million certainly seems to say so.

Originally published in the print issue published for the Asia Pacific Pay TV Operators Summit (APOS) in Bali in April 2018