BANGKOK, THAILAND - BEC World, Thailand's top listed TV network operator, said on Wednesday its advertising revenue would rise less than 10 per cent in 2009 and next year as the economic downturn meant it couldn't raise rates by much.

"Ad revenue this year and in 2010 is not going to grow in double digits ... Probably less than 10 per cent," BEC executive Surin Krittayapongpand told Reuters. "At a time like this, we can't really have a major rate hike."

BEC, which owns free-to-air Channel 3 and earns 90 per cent of its revenue from advertising, is considering whether to raise its advertising rates for some prime-time slots in the fourth quarter, Surin said.

Surin said the rate rise was expected to be less than 10 per cent from 600,000 baht ($25,320) per minute on average.

The company, which vies with state-owned broadcaster MCOT , took a hit from the economic crisis, reporting a 20 per cent drop in April-June net profit, due mainly to softer margins on its advertising income.

Analysts said advertisers had scaled back their spending since the end of 2008, but with the gradual economic recovery, a revival in ad spending during the remaining months of the year looked feasible.

"We feel a potential increase in spending would benefit all media, with TV and event organising likely to benefit the most," a KT-Zmico analyst said.

Shares in BEC rose 0.9 per cent to 22.60 baht at 0448 GMT on Wednesday while the main index was 0.4 per cent lower.