Troubled KMT-run papers to merge in a bid to cut costs

The financially troubled Central Daily News of the KMT will merge with the China Daily News, another party-run newspaper, in a bid to save costs, media reports said.

The five-page paper will be reduced to four pages, and its staff of 89 employees will be cut. The two papers will share an office at the Central Daily News. The latter's office to be sold or rented.

Chairman of the China Daily News Chan Tien-shing (詹天性) will succeed Shaw Yu-ming (邵玉銘), the current chairman of the Central Daily News, to be in charge of the two papers.

The decision ended the protracted struggle in the party on whether the KMT should continue to subsidize the 75-year-old newspaper that has become a financial burden on the party.

The party made the decision after a meeting attended by Shaw, KMT Secretary-General Lin Fong-cheng (林豐正), Chang Chang-pang (張昌邦), director-general of the Investment and Business Management Committee and the head of the KMT's publication and publicity committee Alex Tsai (蔡正元).

The party agreed to subsidize the paper with NT$5 million a month, despite a request for more.

Tsai opposed the request, saying the KMT should take action to prevent the paper from losing more money. He said last Saturday that it would be a waste of resources if the party continued subsidizing the paper.

The newspaper reportedly relies on a subsidy of NT$14 million per month from the party in order to stay in operation.