Legislators yesterday urged the government to restrict the broadcast of junk food commercials on children’s TV channels, as well as at hours when children’s programs are aired on other channels.
A study by the Child Welfare League Foundation showed that children in Taiwan are exposed to an average of 8,325 junk-food commercials a year. On average, each child sees a junk-food ad every 6.6 minutes when watching TV.
The frequency of junk-food ads increases during times when meals are usually eaten — 1.6 the number of times they are aired during other hours.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
The foundation’s research and development director Chiu Ching-hui (邱靖惠) said that even adults would be tempted by the ads to buy junk food, let alone young children.
The foundation’s study also found that many fast-food chains encourage parents to purchase their food by giving out free toys with meals.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Alicia Wang (王育敏) said New York has banned the sale of sugary drinks in containers larger than 470ml in restaurants and other venues. Denmark and France, for their part, have taxed saturated fats and soda, respectively. Both the UK and Sweden have banned the broadcast of junk-food ads in hours when children’s programs are aired.
Wang said she would propose similar measures during the current legislative session.
In response, the Food and Drug Administration said it has proposed an amendment to the the Act Governing Food Sanitation (食品衛生管理法) which would restrict ads for food that could lead to chronic diseases or are inappropriate for long-term consumption by children.
Wu Hsi-wen (吳希文), a section chief at the administration, added that the amendment would also include articles governing the suspension of broadcasts of such ads and penalties. Advertisers violating the regulations could face a penalty of up to NT$200,000 and would be fined per violation. Advertisers could also be asked to correct the content of the ad if it is deemed a serious violation and they could also be fined up to NT$600,000 if they refuse to stop airing the ads.
Jason Ho (何吉森), director of the National Communications Commission’s communication content department, said that the commission has added regulations pertaining to junk-food ads to its amendment to the Satellite Broadcasting Act (衛星廣播電視法), which is being reviewed by the legislature.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
RSS