The National Communications Commission (NCC) said yesterday it had approved the Broadcasting Corporation of China's (BCC) application to transfer its shares to four companies believed to be owned by former UFO Radio chairman Jaw Shaw-kong (
The commission also approved BCC's application to change the chairman of its board. Jaw is now officially the chairman of the newly purchased BCC.
BCC was sold by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) on Dec. 24 to China Times Group subsidiary Jungli Investment Co in a NT$9.3 billion (US$281.6 million) package that included China Television Co and the Central Motion Picture Corp.
New Party founder Jaw then bought the BCC shares from Hua Hsia Investment Holding Co, which reportedly manages KMT assets.
The commission issued a ruling before the Lunar New Year this year asking Jaw to fulfill several requirements before the two applications could be approved.
NCC spokesperson Howard Shyr (石世豪) said yesterday that the two frequencies were originally given to BCC to broadcast anti-communism propaganda.
That campaign had since ceased and the two frequencies were then used to create the station's nationwide broadcast networks. The station must return these two frequencies to the government after the government assigns them to new operators.
Shyr emphasized that the written promise is legally binding. Should the radio station fail to fulfill any of its stated promises, the commission has the legal authority to annul the approval.
"In general, applications of this type should be processed in a faster manner," he said. "The commission set the precedent for this case in that a longer time frame and more attention was devoted to the review process."
The BCC has also promised to have its shares traded in public within two years. Meanwhile, the radio station said it would strive to raise the percentage of self-made programs and to strictly follow the regulations of the Broadcasting and Television Law (廣播電視法), which requires that political parties, the government and the military withdraw from operating media outlets.
The station must also guarantee that there will be no illegal investment from China, Hong Kong, or other overseas investors.
According to the written promise, Jaw has agreed to try to reduce his wife Liang Lei's (
Cabinet spokesman Shieh Jhy-wey (謝志偉) said last night that the NCC's ruling was meant to benefit BCC exclusively.
"If evidence is found of misconduct by commission members, the Executive Yuan will take legal action against them," he said.
Shieh added that the Executive Yuan had discovered that Jaw was a shareholder in the four companies, but that it could find neither their funding sources nor banking records.
The Executive Yuan has ordered the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Financial Supervisory Commission to investigate these companies and to file a report within a week, he added.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Hsu Kuo-yung (
Responding to Hsu's criticism, KMT Legislator Hung Hsiu-chu (
"As long as the BCC meets the NCC's demands concerning the transaction, there is no reason for any party to oppose the ruling," Hung said.
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
A fourth person has died in a food poisoning outbreak linked to the Xinyi (信義) branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said on Monday. It was the second fatality in three days, after another was announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old woman experienced multiple organ failure in the early hours on Monday, and the family decided not to undergo emergency resuscitation, Wang said. She initially showed signs of improvement after seeking medical treatment for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but her condition worsened due to an infection, he said. Two others who
MEDICAL: The bills would also upgrade the status of the Ethical Guidelines Governing the Research of Human Embryos and Embryonic Stem Cell Research to law The Executive Yuan yesterday approved two bills to govern regenerative medicine that aim to boost development of the field. Taiwan would reach an important milestone in regenerative medicine development with passage of the regenerative medicine act and the regenerative medicine preparations ordinance, which would allow studies to proceed and treatments to be developed, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) told reporters at a news conference after a Cabinet meeting. Regenerative treatments have been used for several conditions, including cancer — by regenerating blood cells — and restoring joint function in soft tissue, Wang said. The draft legislation requires regenerative treatments
Taiwanese should be mindful when visiting China, as Beijing in July is likely to tighten the implementation of policies on national security following the introduction of two regulations, a researcher said on Saturday. China on Friday unveiled the regulations governing the law enforcement and judicial activities of national security agencies. They would help crack down on “illegal” and “criminal” activities that Beijing considers to be endangering national security, according to reports by China’s state media. The definition of what constitutes a national security threat in China is vague, Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The two procedural regulations are to provide Chinese