Online TV channel launched

Actress Chiang Hsia, left, and cartoonist Yu-fu announce the establishment of the F4 online TV channel at a media conference yesterday. PHOTO: CNA

An online television channel was launched by a group of four experienced media figuers yesterday to provide a forum for members of the public to voice their opinions.

"This online TV channel allows the public to send in their DV [digital video] clips, and we will publish these clips online and even on the TV shows that we host," said Lin Kuei-you (林奎佑), who is widely known as Yu-fu (魚夫).

The other three founders of the channel, called F4, are actress Chiang Hsia (江霞), writer Wu Jin-fa (吳錦發) and Soochow University professor Shieh Jhy-wey (謝志偉). All four have been wrongly accused of staffing the behind-the-scenes production team of the Special Report VCD series.

Lin, Wu and Hsieh currently host their own TV talk shows on current affairs.

"The clips should be entertaining, funny and creative. Of course, the contents of all clips should be legal and ethical. If you don't know how digital video works, just ask your children or grandchildren -- they will know all about it," Lin said.

"If you don't know how digital video works, just ask your children or grandchildren."

Lin Kuei-you, co-founder of F4

Chiang said the name F4 re-presents the four ethnic groups in Taiwan that are represented by the four founders.

"Lin has Aboriginal heritage, Shieh is a Mainlander, Wu is Hakka and I am Taiwanese," Chiang said.

The logo of F4 TV is four connected rings.

"This represents the unification of all four ethnic groups," Chiang said.

Wu said capitalism has infiltrated the Taiwanese media in recent years.

"Since the turn of the century, the media has been invaded by rich investors. As a result, the news that is represented to the public has become biased and prejudiced, and represents the personal opinions of these investors. Therefore, in establishing this online television channel, we hope to promote public opinions being voiced in a public space," Wu said.

According to Shieh, "it used to be that the media observed the public, but now it is the public who is keeping an eye on the media."

Lin said F4 planned to raise NT$6 million to support the technical needs of the Web site.

"NT$100 per person from 60,000 people will be enough to send F4 into full operation. Before then, outstanding digital clips will be shown on our TV shows," Lin said.

F4 TV has a team of four attorneys to protect the rights of individuals whose clips have been published in case of litigation.

The Web site for the F4 TV channel is: http://www.f4tv.tv.