Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers in the legislature’s Transportation Committee yesterday voted to reject motions from opposition party lawmakers to boycott or postpone a review of the National Communications Commission (NCC) budget.
The motions were filed by the New Power Party and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) to protest the NCC’s handling of SET TV’s (三立電視) investment in Homeplus Digital (中嘉網路), which contradicted a ruling handed down by the cable system regulator when it approved the acquisition of the multiple system operator by Y.L. Lin Hung Tai Charitable Trust in 2018.
The trust fund was instructed that its related enterprises or shareholders must not directly or indirectly control news channels.
Photo: CNA
Following an NCC investigation, SET and Homeplus Digital were ordered to rectify the situation, with the management of the latter given one year to find a new buyer for the shares it sold to the pro-DPP cable television network.
NPP legislators Chen Jiau-hua (陳椒華) and Chiu Hsien-chih (邱顯智) said that the committee should boycott the review of the NCC’s budget.
“It has been nearly three months since the NCC received the tip about SET’s illegal investment in Homeplus Digital. Aside from asking the multiple system operator to rectify the situation in one year, the NCC has neither handed down any punishment nor provided answers to questions about the transaction,” Chiu said.
“This showed that the NCC is incapable of stopping the monopolization of media ownership, nor can it stop KMT vice presidential candidate Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康) from continuing to assume management positions in the Broadcasting Corp of China [BCC],” he said.
KMT Legislator Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷) said the committee should postpone the budget review.
“The incident involving Homeplus would not have happened if it were not for the NCC’s negligence. We would fail in our responsibility to proceed with the budget review,” he said.
DPP legislators Chen Ou-po (陳歐珀) and Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲) said that while they agree with the opposition, the committee should proceed with the review.
“While we review it, we can ask questions and make demands. The commission would be banned from using the budget until they meet those demands. We simply cannot boycott the budget review, as it would delay the entire legislative process,” Lin said.
As DPP lawmakers hold the majority, the motions were struck down in a vote of six to three.
NCC Chairman Chen Yaw-shyang (陳耀祥) told reporters that the commission has asked the BCC, Pubic Television Service, Chinese Television System and broadcast media associations to explain what they would do now that some of their management are running in political elections, and how they plan to fairly cover candidates from all parties.
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