Supporters of former Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will launch on Jan. 19 a satellite TV station called D station, operators of the station said on Friday.

The TV station will be set up "with the goal to educate democracy and oppose coup," said Adisorn Piengket, chairman of the station and also a former executive member of Thai Rak Thai party which was dissolved from electoral fraud in May 2007.

Adisorn claimed that Thaksin was not involved in financing the station, but rather the founders raised fund from friends and families to start the operation.

However, one of co-founders said even though Thaksin was not involving with the station, he is welcomed to phone in to any programs whenever he wants or if he has something to explain to the public.

Natthawut Saikua, a former government spokesman said program would be aired every Sunday to counter on issue said by Prime Minister in his weekly talk on Sunday through government own channel.

PM's Office Minister Satit Wongnongtaeo, who oversees all media organizations, said the new station was free to broadcast but it must not violate the law. Satit said the government will not intervene and has no plan to tamper with media freedom.

Satit said there was no problem if the deposed Prime Minister Thaksin would phone in but he urged media to exercise professional judgment in reporting.

Recently anti-Thaksin group or People Alliance for Democracy (PAD) has been using its own satellite TV, called ASTV to campaign against Thaksin's government and his two government proxies by yellow-shirt people.

Source:Xinhua