Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsieh Ming-yuan (
"Some of these percentages are twice as high as are legal," Hsieh said.
"I challenge the Government Information Office (GIO) to explain why it has not acted upon these infringements," Hsieh said.
PHOTO: CHIEN JUNG-FENG, TAIPEI TIMES
Hsieh said that a glut of Chinese soap operas on both cable and public television has been a concern of his for a long time. He also expressed support for the new general manager of state-controlled Chinese Television System (CTS), Chiang Hsia (
"This overabundance of imported dramas cannot help but influence the availability of jobs for our entertainers," Hsieh said.
Hsieh also voiced concern over the content of Chinese dramas. "They are all about imperial court intrigue," he said, referring to popular Chinese dramas such as Emperor Yongzheng (
"I believe that allowing our children to become inculculated with this Chinese way of thinking from a young age is a bad influence on our society," Hsieh said.
Hsieh added that he did not object to "happy, healthy shows."
GIO representative Wang Gung-ling (
"We thank Hsieh for his figures," Wang said.
"However, we must analyze them ourselves. If these infringements prove to be true according to our standards of measurement, we will penalize the broadcasting companies," Wang said.
Differences in measurement methods could be responsible for differences in figures, he said.
Cable programming is under the jurisdiction of municipal governments, not the GIO, Wang said. He promised to conduct a survey to determine what percentage of shows aired across the nation are imported and to compare the results to the data that Hsieh provided.
Hsieh and Wang tried to remain civil despite fundamental disagreements. "We will satisfy your concerns," Wang said.
Wang added that protecting entertainers and encouraging the growth of the entertainment industry were among his main concerns.
"Any developed country works to protect its own industries against too many foreign imports," Wang said.
He cited a recent EU move to limit US cinema imports as an example of such protection.
The GIO subsidizes the production of eight Taiwanese dramatic shows and two non-dramatic shows per year, Wang said.
According to local newspapers, Chinese officials are considering retaliation if Chiang bans Chinese programs.
China is making up a blacklist of CTS entertainers and production staff, China-based Taiwanese businessman Chao Yung-Shen (
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