National Communications Commission (NCC) Chairman Chen Yaw-shyang (陳耀祥) yesterday denied accusations that he had asked members of a preliminary review committee to approve the application of Mirror Media (精鏡傳媒) to establish a news channel, Mirror TV.
Chen made the remarks in response to Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hung Mong-kai (洪孟楷) at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee.
“I was not in the meeting when the preliminary review committee approved the bid, nor did I ask committee members to do so. The allegation was clearly from someone who sought to influence public opinion,” Chen said.
The NCC launched an internal investigation after one committee member reported that internal communication on their opinion about Taiwan Optical Platform’s application to establish a TV news channel was leaked to the media.
“We had completed the investigation and reported the findings to all members of the review committee on Friday last week, [at a meeting during which] they approved Mirror Media’s application to establish Mirror TV,” Chen said.
Chen also denied claims that he had said the review of Mirror Media’s application should be suspended until after the investigation was concluded.
Asked by Hung and New Power Party Legislator Chen Jiau-hua (陳椒華) to disclose the details of the investigation, NCC Department of Broadcasting and Content Affairs Director Huang Wen-che (黃文哲) said that such information should remain confidential until NCC commissioners issue a final ruling, citing regulations governing the operations of the preliminary review committee.
The NCC found no evidence that someone within the body might have leaked the information to the media, he added.
NCC officials said that the Mirror TV bid would be forwarded to commissioners, who would start working on it later this month.
The Transportation Committee also passed a motion requiring the NCC to submit minutes of all commissioners meetings in which Mirror Media’s application was discussed within one week of a final ruling.
Mirror Media’s plan to establish Mirror TV came under close scrutiny as the commission has not approved a news channel for nearly 10 years.
Among the moves that drew criticism were Mirror Media’s plan to retain National Chengchi University adjunct professor Weng Shieu-chi (翁秀琪) as a full-time ombudsman to monitor the quality of news broadcasts at Mirror TV and Mirror Media chairman Pei Wei’s (裴偉) resignation from the post of Mirror TV chairman.
The moves were believed to be in response to NCC concerns that the company would use the channel to broadcast tabloid-like content similar to that of its Mirror Magazine.
Criticism also focused on the investors behind Mirror TV, as the channel’s board of directors would mostly be staffed with celebrities and media professionals who do not hold a stake in the company.
Taiwan is stepping up plans to create self-sufficient supply chains for combat drones and increase foreign orders from the US to counter China’s numerical superiority, a defense official said on Saturday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, the official said the nation’s armed forces are in agreement with US Admiral Samuel Paparo’s assessment that Taiwan’s military must be prepared to turn the nation’s waters into a “hellscape” for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Paparo, the commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, reiterated the concept during a Congressional hearing in Washington on Wednesday. He first coined the term in a security conference last
Prosecutors today declined to say who was questioned regarding alleged forgery on petitions to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators, after Chinese-language media earlier reported that members of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Youth League were brought in for questioning. The Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau confirmed that two people had been questioned, but did not disclose any further information about the ongoing investigation. KMT Youth League members Lee Hsiao-liang (李孝亮) and Liu Szu-yin (劉思吟) — who are leading the effort to recall DPP caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) and Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) — both posted on Facebook saying: “I
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has fined Taobao NT$1.2 million (US$36,912) for advertisements that exceed its approved business scope, requiring the Chinese e-commerce platform to make corrections in the first half of this year or its license may be revoked. Lawmakers have called for stricter enforcement of Chinese e-commerce platforms and measures to prevent China from laundering its goods through Taiwan in response to US President Donald Trump’s heavy tariffs on China. The Legislative Yuan’s Finance Committee met today to discuss policies to prevent China from dumping goods in Taiwan, inviting government agencies to report. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Kuo Kuo-wen (郭國文) said
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has fined Taobao NT$1.2 million (US$36,900) for advertisements that exceeded its approved business scope and ordered the Chinese e-commerce platform to make corrections in the first half of this year or its license would be revoked. Lawmakers have called for stricter supervision of Chinese e-commerce platforms and more stringent measures to prevent China from laundering its goods through Taiwan as US President Donald Trump’s administration cracks down on origin laundering. The legislature’s Finance Committee yesterday met to discuss policies to prevent China from dumping goods in Taiwan, inviting government agencies to report on the matter. Democratic Progressive Party
RSS