Foreign-produced television programs that air during prime-time hours will be banned from accepting title sponsorship deals, the National Communications Commission (NCC) said yesterday, adding that television channels will be given a six-month grace period to comply with the new policy after it takes effect next month.
Stations found violating the policy after the transition period will be fined between NT$200,000 and NT$2 million (US$6,338 and US$63,375), the commission said.
Prime-time hours are from 8pm to 10pm daily.
NCC spokesman Wong Po-tsung (翁柏宗) said that the commission has also proposed changes to boost locally produced programs following the Legislative Yuan’s passage of amendments to the Radio and Television Act (廣播電視法), the Satellite Broadcasting Act (衛星廣播電視法) and the Cable Radio and Television Act (有線廣播電視法) earlier this year,
Article 19 of the Radio and Television Act, which regulates terrestrial television networks, states that locally produced programs should constitute no less than 70 percent of a station’s radio or television output, he said.
Moreover, locally produced series that air during the prime-time slot should make up at least 50 percent of the programs in the same category, he added.
As such, the commission has proposed that 50 percent of programs that air during prime-time hours on terrestrial television channels be locally produced ones, 40 percent of which must be new content airing for the first time in the nation.
As for satellite channel operators that broadcast children’s programs between 5pm and 7pm, and television series, films or variety shows during prime-time hours, 25 percent of their programs must be locally produced, 40 percent of which must be new content.
To ensure that television channels comply with the local-content requirements, the commission said it plans to conduct a biannual review of their programming.
"We are aware lawmakers are very concerned that too many television channels in Taiwan broadcast series produced in other countries during prime-time hours,” Wong said.
“The new rules were proposed to encourage the production of locally produced programs, create jobs and retain local talent in the broadcasting industry,” he said. “The rules also aim to expand the platforms in which local programs can be shown to protect the interests of viewers. We hope that more locally produced content can be seen during prime-time hours to spread and preserve our culture.”
The commission has taken viewers’ interests and the production capacity of the broadcasting industry into consideration to ensure that the rules are practical and feasible, he said.
The most serious problem facing the broadcasting industry is a lack of funds, he said.
The commission serves as a media regulator, but funding to produce quality content should be jointly provided by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, he said.
New rules governing product placement and sponsorship in television programs and a ban on television channels from accepting title sponsorship if they broadcast foreign-produced programs during prime-time hours are to ensure that funding goes directly to locally produced content, he said.
The amended rules would lift the restrictions on the time duration in which products and logos can be displayed during the program, but there must still be clear distinctions between an advertisement and a program, he said.
Currently, television channels are allowed to accept title sponsorships for all of their programs, in which the name of the sponsor can become part of the program title, such as Kanebo — SS Xiaoyen Night (Kanebo SS小燕之夜).
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