The Government Information Office (GIO) yesterday reiterated its resolve to push for reform of the nation's airwaves, despite protests lodged by opposition lawmakers and the nation's largest radio conglomerate, the Broadcasting Corp of China (BCC).
"We expect to encounter backlash and opposition while we're pushing for reforms, and we fully understand their grievances," GIO head Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said at a press conference yesterday afternoon.
"However, our stance and determination on the matter will not be swayed by irrational criticisms voiced by a few politicians."
Lin made the remarks in response to criticisms made by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hung Hsiu-chu (
Hung said the GIO's reform policy was "a means to create political confrontation" and called it "poison covered with sugarcoating." Yu berated the GIO for neglecting professional opinions and failing to negotiate with the city before making decisions. The BCC also vowed to take legal actions against the GIO should it insist on reclaiming two of its channels reserved for special purposes.
The GIO announced late Monday night that it will terminate a 55-year-old policy, formulated during KMT rule, that allocates high-powered radio frequencies to government-owned stations -- including BCC and the Taipei Broadcasting Station (TBS) -- for the purpose of broadcasting government propaganda into China.
With the recovery of frequencies from the BCC and other public stations, the GIO plans to restructure the country's airwaves in a bid to better manage the radio industry. The GIO plans to complete the three-stage restructuring process by the end of next year.
After returning the designated channels, the BCC will remain the industry leader, with 27 AM stations (17.4 percent of the total number) and 11 FM stations (5.1 percent).
Currently, the BCC occupies 25 percent of the nation's AM stations and 13.96 percent of its FM stations.
Through the party-run Hua-Hsia Investment Holding Co, the KMT owns a 96.95 percent stake in BCC and a 65 percent stake in China Television (CTV).
It also has a 10 percent stake in Taiwan Television (TTV) and full ownership of the Central Motion Picture Corp, the Central Daily News and China Daily News.
The KMT is required by the Broadcasting and Television Law (
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