In a bid to realize President Chen Shui-bian's (
The DPP legislative caucus proposed similar legislation last year that passed the first reading in December but failed to win the support of the KMT and TSU during subsequent cross-party negotiations.
There are other versions of the legislation, and the legislative caucuses have agreed to put all of them to a vote at a plenary session if cross-party negotiations fail to reach a consensus.
Cabinet Spokesman Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said that the legislation, if approved by the legislature, would mark a milestone in the development of the nation's telecommunications and mass communication industries.
"The amendments were made in accordance with the trends of information technology platforms: convergence, globalization and deregulation," Lin said.
The draft would integrate three existing laws, the Terrestrial Radio and Television Law of 1976, the Cable Radio and Television Law of 1993 and the Satellite Radio and Television Law of 1999.
According to Hung Chiang-chuan (
The positions are founder, member of the board of directors, supervisor or manager.
Elected civil servants and political party members owning media outlets would have to forsake their stakes six months after the law takes effect.
Family members of party members or elected civil servants would be banned from owning more than a 10 percent stake in a media outlet.
Foreigners, including Chinese nationals, would be prohibited from investing and assuming such positions as founder, shareholder, fund donator, member of the board of directors or supervisor in terrestrial television stations.
Foreign investment in the cable television station market would be limited to a 50 percent stake, the same as for ownership of satellite television stations.
To ensure Hakka and Aboriginal languages and cultures, authorities would be allowed to designate certain cable media service providers to broadcast Hakka- and Aboriginal-language programs free of charge.
Cable-service providers should propose their monthly service fee for the year on Aug. 1 for ratification by the authorities.
Authorities should review the performance of service providers once every three years, while the operation license is renewed every six to nine years, according to the proposed legislation.
The draft will proceed to the legislature for further review and final approval.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by