PFP legislator demands new laws to protect media from manipulation

Citing the probable appointment of Lai Kuo-chou (賴國洲) as the new chairman of TTV, People First Party Legislator Lee Ching-an (李慶安) was quoted in a Chinese-language media report yesterday as saying that new legislation is the only way to prevent politicians from influencing Taiwan's media.

Lee, who is also the spokesman for the party's legislative caucus, said at a press briefing yesterday morning that Lai's approval as the first choice of the Presidential Office is the result of political manipulation and stemmed from an exchange of political favors.

Such an outcome attests to the new government's lack of determination to make good on its election promise of not interfering with the three major television companies, Lee said.

It makes one suspicious that the appointment ensued simply as an outcome of talks between top government officials and former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) who is Lai's father-in-law, Lee said.

Lee called the appointment an "unforgivable" mistake, stressing that legislation is the sole alternative that will effectively rid the three major television companies of influence-peddling from political parties, government officials and the military.

The TTV board is expected to be reshuffled at its meeting on Aug. 18, the report said. The report quoted an unidentified media source as saying Lai's appointment had caused several would-be board members, including China Times Weekly publisher Chang Shu-ming (張叔明), Taipei Times publisher Antonio Chiang (司馬文武), journalism professor at National Chengchi University Feng Chien-san (馮建三) to turn down offers of TTV board membership.

TTV acting president Liu Wen-lung (劉文龍), meanwhile, refused to comment on the issue, citing that he is "just an employee, not a shareholder."

As executive members of the TTV labor union have just been reelected and have not held any meetings yet, no TTV employees are entitled to make a claim, the report quoted Liao Yu-yeh (廖玉葉), a new executive board member of the union.