Star TV defends decision to drop political program

Star TV said yesterday that its decision not to renew the contract of Independent legislator Sisy Chen's (陳文茜) political talk show was not politically motivated.

"We have never tried to submit any bid to the government for any of its [media] projects, so our decision has nothing to do with politics," said Ivan Yuan (袁志業), general manager of STAR Group Taiwan Limited, at a press conference held yesterday afternoon.

Yuan said that the content of Star TV covers many areas, but that the number of political talk-show programs on the air was already too high.

"We want to provide different categories of TV programs to our viewers," he added.

Star TV is the only national general-interest channel to broadcast two daily political talk shows. Aside from Chen's Sisy's News, it also airs former politician Jaw Shaw-kong's (趙少康) News Hijacker.

Star TV informed Chen of its decision to drop her program last Friday.

Chen later told reporters she believed that the DPP was behind Star TV's move, adding that the ruling party's intention to stop her hosting her own TV show would only force her to campaign for the pan-blue camp.

"In the presidential campaign, it will become a war between between President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and myself," Chen told reporters yesterday.

"We will see who is better at running a campaign," she added.

Star's decision also upset the KMT, with the party's legislative caucus holding a press conference accusing Chen of intolerance and demanding that he end his weekly address A-bian Portrait.

Following his caucus's attack, KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) said yesterday afternoon that it would be a slur on democracy if a TV show like Sisy's News is banned.

In response, James Huang (黃志芳), director of the Public Affairs Department of the Presidential Office, yesterday told reporters that the president had nothing to do with Chen's TV show being discontinued, adding that the independent legislator should ask Star TV why her program was shut down.

Political talk shows hosted by legislators are no strangers to controversy. The DPP has attempted to amend regulations to prohibit elected politicians from producing or hosting both TV and radio shows.

According to information from the Government Information Office, Independent lawmaker Sisy Chen (陳文茜) is the most active media hostess among politicians. Aside from Sisy's News on Star TV, Chen also hosts a daily radio talk show UFO Dinner on the UFO Radio Station.