The SET-TV network came under fire yesterday after the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) accused it of doctoring footage and distorting the role the party had played in its special report on the 228 Incident.
The 228 Incident refers to a local uprising beginning on Feb. 27, 1947, against the KMT regime, which crushed the uprising by killing tens of thousands of civilians.
From March 3 through March 7, SET-TV broadcast a series of special reports on the history of the 228 Incident to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the massacre.
PHOTO: SUNG CHIH-HSIUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
KMT lawmakers yesterday claimed the TV station had doctored an image by passing off an image of a KMT officer executing a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) member in Shanghai in 1948 as that of a Taiwanese being killed by the KMT regime during the 228 Incident. The lawmakers made the claim following a report by the Chinese-language United Daily News yesterday on the matter.
The KMT argues that the 228 Incident was the result of poor governance rather than ethnic conflict.
In a written statement, KMT Culture and Communications Committee Chairman Yang Tu (
"SET-TV used video clips from the Chinese Civil War and passed them off as belonging to the 228 Incident. It inspired hatred and violated news ethics," the statement said.
SET-TV spokeswoman Chang Cheng-fen (
SET-TV news chief editor Chen Ya-lin (
"We didn't fabricate the special report. We didn't know the clip was about the civil war between the KMT and the CCP. There was no indication on the master tape, and Juan didn't inform us of the fact. Nor did she write it in the letter of authorization," Chen said.
But Chen's comments were dismissed by Juan, who said she had told SET-TV the truth upon loaning them the tape, adding that SET-TV had willfully used the footage in a misleading way.
The National Communications Commission (NCC) later demanded that SET-TV explain its handling of the issue and sent statements to all TV stations to remind them of proper procedures in handling videos that simulate historic events.
"SET-TV's handling of the historical documents did not follow professional journalism procedures," NCC Vice Commissioner Howard Shyr (石世豪) said. "NCC will send the content to the Programs and Advertisements Consultation Committee for further examination."
In related news, DPP Legislator Lin Yu-sheng (林育生), who worked as spokesman for Premier Su Tseng-chang's (蘇貞昌) presidential campaign office, yesterday accused SET-TV of failing to remain impartial during the DPP's legislative and presidential primary.
Lin said SET-TV had paved the way for a certain candidate in the primary by making comments favoring former premier Frank Hsieh (
"Whether or not SET TV is an impartial medium or a mouthpiece is for the public to decide," Lin said, referring to a political talk show hosted by Cheng Hung-yi (鄭弘儀), which airs in the evening.
The station was unavailable for comment as of press time.
Meanwhile, accompanied by two female DPP legislators and a DPP Central Executive Committee member, DPP Legislator Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) yesterday accused the Green Peace Broadcasting Station of siding with her rivals and attempting to discredit her by dubbing her "Chinese Khim (
Hsiao lost to rival DPP Legislator Wang Shih-cheng (王世堅) in the Taipei second district by a margin of 33.87 percent.
"It is OK to lose the primary, but I don't want to be forced out of politics as a consequence of my loyalty to the nation being put into question," she said, choking up.
Asked for comments, Green Peace Broadcasting said its spokesman was unavailable, adding that the program in which called Hsiao had been called "Chinese Khim" was outsourced.
The station said it would not meddle in how the program is produced, unless it is found to be in violation of broadcasting regulations.
Additional reporting by Mo Yan-chih
Hong Kong singer Andy Lau’s (劉德華) concert in Taipei tonight has been cancelled due to Typhoon Kong-rei and is to be held at noon on Saturday instead, the concert organizer SuperDome said in a statement this afternoon. Tonight’s concert at Taipei Arena was to be the first of four consecutive nightly performances by Lau in Taipei, but it was called off at the request of Taipei Metro, the operator of the venue, due to the weather, said the organizer. Taipei Metro said the concert was cancelled out of consideration for the audience’s safety. The decision disappointed a number of Lau’s fans who had
A tropical depression east of the Philippines became a tropical storm early yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, less than a week after a typhoon barreled across the nation. The agency issued an advisory at 3:30am stating that the 22nd tropical storm, named Yinxing, of the Pacific typhoon season formed at 2am. As of 8am, the storm was 1,730km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, with a 100km radius. It was moving west-northwest at 32kph, with maximum sustained winds of 83kph and gusts of up to 108kph. Based on its current path, the storm is not expected to hit Taiwan, CWA
Commuters in Taipei picked their way through debris and navigated disrupted transit schedules this morning on their way to work and school, as the city was still working to clear the streets in the aftermath of Typhoon Kong-rey. By 11pm yesterday, there were estimated 2,000 trees down in the city, as well as 390 reports of infrastructure damage, 318 reports of building damage and 307 reports of fallen signs, the Taipei Public Works Department said. Workers were mobilized late last night to clear the debris as soon as possible, the department said. However, as of this morning, many people were leaving messages
A Canadian dental assistant was recently indicted by prosecutors after she was caught in August trying to smuggle 32kg of marijuana into Taiwan, the Aviation Police Bureau said on Wednesday. The 30-year-old was arrested on Aug. 4 after arriving on a flight to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Chang Tsung-lung (張驄瀧), a squad chief in the Aviation Police Bureau’s Criminal Investigation Division, told reporters. Customs officials noticed irregularities when the woman’s two suitcases passed through X-ray baggage scanners, Chang said. Upon searching them, officers discovered 32.61kg of marijuana, which local media outlets estimated to have a market value of more than NT$50 million (US$1.56
RSS