Along with the Thai Television Company, Ltd., the Post and Telegraph Department, the Royal Thai Army, Navy, and Air Force, the Police Department, Kasetsart and Chulalongkorn Universities, and the Ministry of Education all operate radio stations. Except for the Education Ministy and Radio Thailand broadcasts, all other stations are commercial and rely heavily on advertising revenue to cover operating costs. Programming tends to resemble the commercial format popular in other countries, with music and talk shows the dominant fare. In 1955, Thailand became the first Asian country to enjoy regular television services. Today there are 9 channels, two operated by the government, two by the army, two private, and 3 cable.
All stations are commercial, which makes wide appeal the main criterion in selecting programs.
Variety shows are popular, as are imported U.S. television series, but the most popular are locally-produced serial dramas. Children enjoy U.S. and Japanese cartoons, as well as local programs especially created for them. Educational programs introduced as part of open-university distance learning enjoy a large following among viewers. Sports programs, particularly local and foreign soccer and boxing matches, have wide appeal.