Taichung County loses channels in cable TV dispute

Some 30,000 cable TV subscribers in Taichung County lost most of their channels this week after a local cable operator and channel agent struggled to renew channel contracts.

Two days ago subscribers of Top Cable TV Co (大平有線電視) in Taichung County, the main cable provider for Tatuen district (大屯區) which lies in the middle of the county, lost 39 out of the service's 70 channels, said Huang Chuan-bang (黃傳榜), director of Taichung County's information department.

Top Cable's contracts with eight main channel agents -- including Filmate International Inc (木喬), TV Time Entertainment Networks Inc (世代), Videoland Inc (緯來), and ERA Corp (年代) -- expired at the end of last year.

But Top Cable has not yet reached an agreement to continue their cooperation with their channel agents, stuck in a dispute over commercial allotment. Top Cable wants to be able to run local advertisments on the channels.

Huang said that Top Cable's move has severely encroached on subscribers' privileges.

"We decided to fine Top Cable a maximum penalty of NT$500,000, and will discuss an adjustment in their subscription rate," Huang said.

According to the law set by the Government Information Office last year, local governments have the right to announce their own standards on cable TV subscrption fees.

In Taichung County, cable operators on average charge NT$580 per month.