The government yesterday announced that it would not renew the operating licenses of TV news channel ETTV-S and six movie and variety channels, and said the stations must go off the air as of tomorrow.
The move by the Government Information Office (GIO) drew an immediate and sharp backlash from the stations and pan-blue legislators, who charged that it was a heavy-handed attempt to reign in media outlets that are critical of the government.
"I'm worried that the `white terror' era will return to the media industry," People First Party (PFP) Legislator Li Yong-ping (
PHOTO: TAI TA-SHANG, TAIPEI TIMES
Pan-blue legislators, joined by some from the pan-green camp, vowed to continue pushing the establishment of a National Communications Commission (NCC) to reform how the nation's media is supervised. Li called on GIO Minister Pasuya Yao (姚文智) to convince the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus to stop blocking the establishment of the commission.
"The DPP caucus is inconsistent in its words and actions," she said. "While it claims to support media reform, it is derailing the establishment of the NCC."
Li vowed that her caucus will team up with its political ally, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), to push for setting up the NCC during the upcoming legislative session, and may request that the matter be put to a vote.
Li criticized the lack of transparency in the GIO's review process for media outlets' license renewals, calling it a "black-box operation."
Yao defended the government's decision, denying that the GIO review process is too secretive, and made public the names of some of the review committee members. The committee suggested not renewing the seven stations' licenses late Sunday night.
He also stood firm on the committee's suggestion, which is awaiting his final approval before being implemented.
"What the media outlets reap today is what they have sown," Yao said. "Since we enforced the law too leniently in the past, media outlets almost forgot that the law exists."
He added that the GIO cannot guarantee that each applicant will pass the review.
Yao dismissed speculation that the GIO's rejection of the ETTV-S' renewal application is to make room for a pro-independence broadcaster which plans to launch a TV station by next year. But he said that he had met up with the chairman of the group in question.
Yao said that in addition to an indignant response from Eastern Broadcasting Company, which runs ETTV-S, a death threat was faxed to his office before the GIO had even made its decision public. Yao has asked the police to conduct an investigation into the threat.
In a statement on its Web site, ETTV-S said it would appeal the GIO decision. It termed it "an international laughing stock and a black spot for Taiwan's democracy," adding that the station had won a government award for one of its programs.
PFP caucus whip Sun Ta-chen (
"We'd really hate to see the government use the renewal of media operating licenses as an excuse to kidnap the media and curb press freedom," he said. "I'm calling on the public to open their eyes and see clearly exactly who is the stumbling block to media reform."
Once the NCC is established, its mission will be to integrate the management of telecommunications, cable television, satellite and wireless broadcasting in this country. Under the plan, incentives would be offered to develop new media technology, while helping to protect the interests of audiences by monitoring the service of media industries.
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon yesterday morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan from tomorrow to Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was approximately 950km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost point, the CWA said. It is expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, it said. The agency said it could issue a sea warning in the early hours of today and a land warning in the afternoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving at
UPDATED FORECAST: The warning covered areas of Pingtung County and Hengchun Peninsula, while a sea warning covering the southern Taiwan Strait was amended The Central Weather Administration (CWA) at 5:30pm yesterday issued a land warning for Typhoon Usagi as the storm approached Taiwan from the south after passing over the Philippines. As of 5pm, Usagi was 420km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost tip, with an average radius of 150km, the CWA said. The land warning covered areas of Pingtung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春), and came with an amended sea warning, updating a warning issued yesterday morning to cover the southern part of the Taiwan Strait. No local governments had announced any class or office closures as of press time last night. The typhoon
At least 35 people were killed and dozens more injured when a man plowed his car into pedestrians exercising around a sports center in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai on Monday night. Footage showing bodies lying on the pavement appeared on social media in the hours after the crash, but had vanished by early Tuesday morning, and local police reported only “injuries.” It took officials nearly 24 hours to reveal that dozens had died — in one of the country’s deadliest incidents in years. China heavily monitors social media platforms, where it is common for words and topics deemed
Typhoon Usagi yesterday had weakened into a tropical storm, but a land warning issued by the Central Weather Administration (CWA) was still in effect in four areas in southern Taiwan. As of 5pm yesterday, Tropical Storm Usagi was over waters 120km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), the southernmost tip of Taiwan proper, and was moving north at 9kph, CWA data showed. The storm was expected to veer northeast later yesterday. It had maximum sustained winds of 101kph, with gusts of up to 126kph, the data showed. The CWA urged residents of Kaohsiung, Pingtung County, Taitung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春) to remain alert to
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