The Campaign for Media Reform urged Government Information Office (GIO) to spell out its policy on managing the radio industry.
During a press conference yesterday, academics and professionals belonging to the group said the GIO needs more detailed planning on legalizing underground radio stations as well as the proposed national communication council.
"For instance, in its attempt to legalize underground radio stations, the GIO did not specify how these stations should be managed and run once they are turned into legal entities," said Tseng Kuo-feng (曾國峰), assistant professor in the department of radio and television of National Chengchi University's College of Communication.
Many underground stations sustain themselves by selling commercial products, which the GIO frowns upon, believing that radio stations should be non-profit oriented.
However, some academic said that traditional medicines, which are advertised on many radio stations, are actually part of the grassroots culture.
"While paying visit to underground stations in central and southern Taiwan, I was told by their owners that the majority of their listeners actually prefer to listen to stations that advertise traditional medicines, and these listeners tend to develop particular attachments to radio show hosts who work for such stations," said Vivian Huang (黃葳威), a media professor at National Chengchi University.
Huang said she hoped the GIO would take regional social cultures into consideration while trying to manage the radio industry.
The academics felt that the proposed council should be an independent organization, but it should not be seen as a cure-all for all the problems in the radio industry.
"The council should be an independent organization, where every decision from management appointments, financial resources and administration should be independent [from the government]," said Kuang Chung-hsiang (管中祥), an assistant professor in the department of radio, television and film of Shih Hsin University.
Wei Ti (魏玓), an assistant professor of mass communications at Tamkang University, said that the US Federal Communication Commission (FCC) has had to face many controversies over its political neutrality.
"No organization can solve all the problems. The FCC has been questioned over its impartial political stance and there have been many controversies," Wei said.
News professionals support media reform.
"Back in the days when [People First Party Chairman] James Soong (宋楚瑜) was director-general of the GIO, the GIO was a merely a government mouthpiece and a political tool. The government has finally come to the realization that the role of GIO should be more focused on the actual administration of broadcasting and that it be run professionally," said Tony Liu (呂東熹), president of the Association of Taiwan Journalists.
Huang voiced concern that once politics is mixed with broadcasting matters, these issues might no longer be handled professionally.
"Taiwan has a special culture that when politics comes into the decision-making process, things are no longer done from a professional point of view, Huang said.
"Personally, I am skeptical of just how neutral the council would be once politicians from all the parties take part in the lawmaking process," Huang said.
"What often results from such political involvement is politicians profiting from the decisions they have agreed upon for their own political interests," he said.
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
VIGILANCE: The military is paying close attention to actions that might damage peace and stability in the region, the deputy minister of national defense said The People’s Republic of China (PRC) might consider initiating a hack on Taiwanese networks on May 20, the day of the inauguration ceremony of president-elect William Lai (賴清德), sources familiar with cross-strait issues said. While US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s statement of the US expectation “that all sides will conduct themselves with restraint and prudence in the period ahead” would prevent military actions by China, Beijing could still try to sabotage Taiwan’s inauguration ceremony, the source said. China might gain access to the video screens outside of the Presidential Office Building and display embarrassing messages from Beijing, such as congratulating Lai
Four China Coast Guard ships briefly sailed through prohibited waters near Kinmen County, Taipei said, urging Beijing to stop actions that endanger navigation safety. The Chinese ships entered waters south of Kinmen, 5km from the Chinese city of Xiamen, at about 3:30pm on Monday, the Coast Guard Administration said in a statement later the same day. The ships “sailed out of our prohibited and restricted waters” about an hour later, the agency said, urging Beijing to immediately stop “behavior that endangers navigation safety.” Ministry of National Defense spokesman Sun Li-fang (孫立方) yesterday told reporters that Taiwan would boost support to the Coast Guard