The National Communications Commission (NCC) unveiled the policy direction it will take over the course of the year in a 66-page paper yesterday.
The paper covered four major categories, including facilitating fair competition in the age of digital convergence, reinforcing telecommunication policy, preserving the rights of citizens and consumers, and respect for minorities and diversity in culture.
In a question-and-answer session yesterday, however, participants focused mainly on issues related to charges for telecommunication services, cracking down on illegal radio stations and enforcing regulations that require the government, politics and military to withdraw from the media.
The paper stated that a cap should be set on telecommunications service charges. The commission said it had devised a formula that factored in the consumer price index and technology advancements to help telecommunications service operators set prices within a more reasonable range.
Wu Chung-chi (吳忠吉), an NCC commissioner, said that the commission's role was to settle any disputes between sellers and buyers of services.
"The purpose is to preserve competition and the free market environment," Wu said.
The commission also restated its determination to eliminate 50 percent of underground radio stations. Each illegal station will be punished based on several factors, such as interfering with the safety of air traffic, interrupting licensed radio stations and selling illegal drugs and food on air.
In addition, the commission said it was reviewing three cases involving the influence of government and political parties, including Chunghwa Telecom's multimedia-on-demand service, Eastern Multimedia and Taiwan Television.
While the commissioners talked in detail about their goals, they refused to comment on any cases that were under review.
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