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.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
The New Taipei City Government would assist relatives of those killed or injured in last month’s car-ramming incident in Sansia District (三峽) to secure compensation, Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said yesterday, two days after the driver died in a hospital. “The city government will do its best to help the relatives of the car crash incident seek compensation,” Hou said. The mayor also said that the city’s Legal Affairs, Education and Social Welfare departments have established a joint mechanism to “provide coordinated assistance” to victims and their families. Three people were killed and 12 injured when a car plowed into schoolchildren and their
RSS