| Channel 9 MCOT HD | |
| Picture Format: | 1080i HDTV |
| Network: | MCOT |
| Owner: | MCOT PCL |
| Country: | Thailand |
| Language: | Thai and English |
| Headquarters: | Huai Khwang, Bangkok |
| Former Names: | Thai Television Channel 4 (1952–1974) Thai Color Television Channel 9 (1975–1983) Thai Color Television Channel 9 M.C.O.T. (1984–2002) Modernine TV (2002–2015) |
| Terr Serv 1: | Digital |
| Terr Chan 1: | Channel 30 (HD) (MCOT MUX3) |
| Online Serv 1: | Watch live |
| MCOT HD | |
| Analog: | 9 (1975-2018) |
| Digital: | 40 (MUX#3: MCOT) |
| Virtual: | 30 |
| Former Callsigns: | HST-TV[1] |
| Former Channel Numbers: | 4 (1955-1975) |
Channel 9 MCOT HD (Thai: ช่อง 9 เอ็มคอตเอชดี) is a Thai state-owned free-to-air television network launched on 24 June 1955. It is owned by MCOT.
In 1949, Sanpasiri Wirayasiri, a foreign correspondent for the Publicity Department (present-day Public Relations Department), wrote an article to introduce readers to "Visual Radio", a new type of communication technology in the world. Later, the Department of Publicity (Current Public Relations Office) sends a group of servants to study in the United Kingdom around the year 1950, seeing the enormous benefits for the nation The Department then presented "Project to establish a radiotelephony" to the Field Marshal P. Pibulsongkram, then Prime Minister, but in the House of Representatives most MPs vehemently disagreed. because he saw that it was a waste of the national budget, therefore, temporarily interrupting the said project.[2]
The British Pye company signed a contract to build a television station in Bangkok that would later be used as the backbone of what would be Channel 4. The station was set up by T. V. Mitchell, a Singaporean businessman.[3] Then Prasit Thavisin, Chairman of the Board of Directors Wichian Wireless and Telephony Co., Ltd. brought a radio transmitter and 4 receivers with a total weight of over 2,000 kilos to try to transmit the Marching Band musical performances from the Department of Public Relations for Government House and public relations department for cabinet see for the first time in Thailand and also open for general public to experience in Sala Chalermkrung on 19 July 1952. The broadcast was seen by 20,000 people.[4]
The channel was originally launched as Channel 4 Bang Khun Phrom (ช่อง 4 บางขุนพรหม) with test transmissions beginning on 6 September 1954 and beginning formal broadcasts on 24 June 1955. The then new channel operated under the management of the Thai Television Company (founded 1952). The channel began to broadcast daily in 1957. HST-TV was managed by Pichai Vanasong. Its airtime was divided between 60% commercial shares and 40% public service programming.[5]
Regional television stations started outside of Bangkok beginning in 1962, in February of that year it opened a station in Khonkaen (HSKK-TV, channel 5), followed by Chiang Mai (HSKL-TV, channel 8), Hat Yai (HSBK-TV, channel 9, later channel 10 in the 625-line service) in May 1962, Surathani (HSS-TV, channel 7) in January 1968 and Muang (channel 9) in March 1972.[1]
From 1 June 1970 to 1974, the channel migrated from broadcasting in black-and-white at 525-lines on VHF channel 4 to a colour using a 625-line system on VHF channel 9 (the second in Southeast Asia). On 3 February 1977, the Thai Television Company was dissolved and channel 9 was put under direct State administration.
On 28 June 1981, Princess Sirindhorn and King Bhumibol Adulyadej officially inaugurated the new MCOT buildings on a 57-meters-square terrain with a television transmission, the largest in the country at the time, at 9:25 am. On 16 July 1987, Channels 3 and 9 signed a broadcasting expansion agreement. In 1992, Sangchai Sunthornwat became the director of MCOT.
On 6 November 2002, the channel was rebranded as Modernine TV. During the 2006 Thai coup d'état, the network was forced to stop broadcasting.