9 3 ▁▁ 1 9 9 8 ) ▁▁ ▁In ▁September ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁U TV ▁began ▁a ▁C AT V ▁service ▁in ▁the ▁Bang k ok ▁metropol itan ▁area . ▁The ▁service ▁was ▁provided ▁on ▁a ▁hy brid ▁fi ber ▁co ax ial ▁network . ▁The ▁cable ▁technology ▁allowed ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁channels ▁to ▁be ▁offered ▁with ▁high ▁quality ▁sound ▁and ▁pictures . ▁It ▁also ▁provided ▁a ▁pay - per - view ▁option . ▁By ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁the ▁hy brid ▁fi ber ▁co ax ial ▁cable ▁network ▁reached ▁about ▁ 8 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁homes . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁U TV ▁sold ▁the ▁cable ▁infrastr ucture ▁component ▁of ▁its ▁business ▁to ▁its ▁sister ▁company , ▁Asia ▁Mult imedia ▁Company ▁Limited . ▁This ▁allowed ▁U TV ▁to ▁focus ▁on ▁content ▁and ▁service ▁delivery ▁to ▁subscri bers . ▁ ▁Mer ger ▁with ▁United ▁Broadcast ing ▁Corporation ▁( 1 9 9 8 ▁▁ 2 0 0 6 ) ▁In ▁February ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁after ▁the ▁on set ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁Asian ▁financial ▁crisis , ▁the ▁I BC ▁merged ▁with ▁U TV ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁decrease ▁oper ational ▁costs . ▁The ▁United ▁Broadcast ing ▁Corporation ▁( U BC ) ▁was ▁formed . ▁The ▁U BC ▁later ▁split ▁into ▁two ▁companies : ▁U BC ▁pl c . ▁which ▁provided ▁a ▁pay - tele vision ▁service ▁via ▁the ▁I BC ' s ▁satellite ▁transmission ▁con cess ion