The National Communications Commission (NCC) plans to hold a hearing on the change of ownership of China Television (CTV, 中視) and CTi Television (CTi, 中天電視).
The two companies were sold to the Wang Wang Group (旺旺中國) last year. Any change of ownership at a television station must be approved by the NCC. Only if the stations secure NCC approval can they apply to change their company registration at the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
Last year, the Wang Wang Group purchased the two stations as well as the Chinese-language daily China Times from the China Times Group (中時集團).
NCC spokesperson Lee Ta-sung (李大嵩) said the commission would invite the former chairman of the two stations,Albert Yu (余建新), and his successor, Lin Sheng-fen (林聖芬), to attend the hearing.
Representatives from other TV stations will also be invited to attend the hearing and express their thoughts on how the deal would affect their operations.
Discussions generated from the hearing will serve as a reference for the commission, which remains the ultimate authority in approving applications, the NCC said.
Lee said the commission had decided to hold a hearing before making its final decision because the case involved a group simultaneously owning not only a terrestrial and cable television service, but also a daily newspaper.
“And since this is the first such case that the commission has been faced with, we want to be more cautious when reviewing the applications for ownership change,” Lee said.
The spokesperson added that the commission would focus on several major issues involved in the case, including whether the stations have received funding from Chinese or other overseas investors, and the group’s plans to manage and operate the three companies and protect the interests of workers.
Lee said the commission had asked the Mainland Affairs Council and Financial Supervisory Commission to investigate if the group had received any direct or indirect funding from overseas investors.
Both organizations had reported no such findings, Lee said.
The NCC spokesperson said the commission did not intend to delay the review process, but was just making sure it adhered to the administrative procedures.
When asked why the commission had not held a hearing when Unique Broadcasting Inc (非凡傳播) acquired Taiwan Television Station (TTV), Lee said the commission was authorized by law to hold hearings or consider testimony before ruling on any major case.
The commission’s ruling on Wang Wang’s acquisition of the two high-profile TV stations would be a landmark decision, Lee added.
This year, the commission may also have to rule on Next Media’s proposal to set up two new television stations, for which a similar hearing could be held.
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