GIO is `almost positive' not to veto cable law

The Cabinet's Government Information Office (GIO, 新聞局) may not seek a veto of the amendment to the Cable Television Law (有線廣播電視法), Chinese-language media reported yesterday.

The Taipei City Government has asked the GIO to veto the amendment, which allows the central government body to set cable TV fees around the island, saying that the law conflicts with the spirit of local autonomy and the rights of local governments.

"The GIO is almost positive that it will not call for a veto," Lee Cher-jean (李雪津), deputy director-general of the GIO, was quoted as saying yesterday.

However, the final decision will not be made until tomorrow, when the GIO is scheduled to call a meeting to discuss the matter with local governments.

Lee said yesterday that a proposal by local governments to conduct a preliminary review of fee structures first, and then let the GIO be the final doorkeeper was a feasible idea.

She added that the GIO had not been made aware in advance of the passage of the law, and the GIO did not conspire with the cable TV operators to amend the law as King Pu-tsung (金浦聰), director of Taipei's Department of Information (新聞處), has alleged.

Upon learning of the news, King expressed his regret and doubts over Lee's remarks.

"It's unacceptable and impossible that the GIO didn't know anything in advance and that it didn't work together with cable TV operators in the amendment and passage of the law," King said.

If everything fails, King said, the city does not rule out the possibility of taking legal action.

"It has to at least assume political responsibility," he said.

"Please forgive my frankness, but it's naive to think that the cable TV operators will eventually give consumers a better deal," he said. "What it does is worsen the existing monopoly of the cable market."

On Thursday night, the amended Cable Television Law passed its third reading in the Legislative Yuan. As well as allowing the GIO to supervise the formulation of the fee structure for cable television, the law also allows the government to impose penalties against cable TV operators which illegally place advertisements over original programming and to cancel the NT$600 ceiling of the monthly fee.

On Friday, King proposed that the GIO veto the law while visiting Su Tzen-ping (蘇正平), director of the GIO.

King called the new measure a "centralization of authority" and a "violation of the essence of self-governance of local governments."