THAI CONSUMER EXPERIENCE WITH US MULTICHANNEL TELEVISION AS A PRELUDE TO THAILAND'S EMERGING MEDIA SYSTEM

摘要

Multichannel television in Thailand is in its infancy. The launch of Thaicom I, a Thai owned telecommunication satellite, is expected to expand the reach of direct broadcast television to many more people. Yet, for now the vast majority of the people in Thailand are relatively unfamiliar and inexperienced with multichannel television. The potential acceptance and ultimate spread of a new communications technology is sensitive to the key role played by opinion leaders in the diffusion process. University students studying in the United States who subscribe to cable television services and plan to return to Thailand may function in that role. This study examines the attitudes toward and use of multichannel cable television by this unique population. Also identified are the reasons leading to cable subscribership. These results are viewed in the context of the potential opinion leader roles played in the diffusion of similar communication technologies.