Independent legislator and talk-show host Sisy Chen (
The Taiwan Daily News, a pro-Taiwan newspaper, reported early this week that the popularity of Chen's show at Star TV, Sisy's News (
The report quoted an anonymous source at Star as saying the station has wasted a lot of money on Chen's show.
The report was accompanied with an analysis piece which criticized Chen for holding a media job while she is a legislator.
Chen attacked the content of both articles in comments on her show and announced that she would file a lawsuit demanding NT$100 million compensation for damage to her reputation.
She also said that her show's production fee was only about NT$150,000 each. Chen also accused the daily of getting NT$3 billion in illegal loans from the First Bank by manipulating its political influence.
In response, the newspaper announced it would file a lawsuit against Chen and demand NT$200 million in compensation, if she doesn't apologize for her accusations on her talk show.
"We haven't received any support from any political groups or enterprises in the past two years. Chen's accusation that we received a NT$3 billion loan from the First Bank is really not true. What Chen said is a humiliation to a newspaper that is widely supported by Taiwanese," a statement issued by the paper said.
"Our reports are based on information from Star and AC Nelson," the paper said in its statement. "If Chen could provide more evidence over the issue, we would be willing to publish it."
One of the daily's reporters who was involved with the two articles, said that they are not afraid of Chen's lawsuit, because they have the evidence to prove their reports.
"Chen has been playing the games she wants to play for too long. The problem is that she is a politician and should be questioned for what she does. She, however, never answered," said the reporter, who declined to be identified.
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