Talk show host Chou Yu-kou (周玉寇) claimed in her TV program yesterday that Lee Tao (李濤), talk show host of the TVBS show 2100 Quan Min Kai Jiang [Speaking Your Mind at 2100] had placed a call to the Presidential Office asking President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) to spare his station from the ongoing political furor.
The TVBS controversy began after Lee made public a photo that appeared to prove former presidential adviser Chen Che-nan (
"Lee made two phone calls, one to the vice president and another to the premier [Frank Hsieh (
Saying she knows Lee all too well, Chou said that Lee is actually a "coward" who just pretends to be a hero, and is trying to leave the public with the impression that he [Lee] is willing to rebel against authority at all costs in an attempt to defend press freedom.
Asked to respond, Lee was quoted as saying "treat [what she said] as a mere joke."
However, a statement released by Vice President Annette Lu's (
According to the statement, Lu received a call from Lee on Tuesday afternoon after the president announced that he would not have any TV stations shut down during his presidency.
Additional reporting by Chiu Yu-tzu
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