Amid criticism from opposition lawmakers, the Government Information Office (GIO) said yesterday it was planning to legalize 93 underground radio stations by the end of the year.
"While the crackdown on illegal radio stations is not the best way to solve the problem, it would be a better idea to legalize them so we can manage them more effectively," GIO Deputy Director-General Hung Chiang-chuan (
According to Hung, there are 93 illegal radio stations across the nation. Since the establishment of the Cabinet's Joint Crackdown Forces in 2002, about 120 cases were reported and handled and NT$3.28 million worth of fines were issued in 2002. Last year, 64 cases were handled and NT$85,500 in fines were issued, and from January to May this year, 72 cases were handled and NT$967,000 fines were issued.
Hung pledged to continue the crackdown before legalizing the radio stations, which he said would take between six and eight months.
Calling underground radio stations "the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's [DPP] guerrilla," People First Party (PFP) Legislator Lin Te-fu (
Lee reportedly promised to help lobby the government to legalize underground radio stations during a private meeting last week in exchange for their support for the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU), of which he is the spiritual leader.
Lin also accused the Cabinet of being half-hearted in its crackdown on illegal radio stations.
Hung, however, dismissed the allegation, saying that could take about two weeks to get a search warrant and close down a station, while it takes only three days for them to resume broadcasting.
PFP Legislator Pang Chien-kuo (
"The government should let them know that those seeking a political approach to solve the problem are not going to get a license," Pang said. "I'm calling on the retied president to stop meddling in the matter and stay out of the business."
Instead of focusing on the underground radio stations, DPP Legislator Wang Tuoh (
Voicing his support for merging the two terrestrial TV stations with three other stations into one public television group, Wang said it would realize a pledge made by President Chen Shui-bian (
Although Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hung Hsiu-chu (
The Cabinet allocates NT$900 million to keep Public Television Service afloat, but it is estimated the integrated public television group might cost the government more than NT$13.5 billion a year.
Hung remained evasive on what to do with the two terrestrial TV stations, promising only to present a final proposal to the legislature for review on June 26.
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