The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday turned over the case of the radio program Happy Singing Voice (快樂歌聲) to the Pingtung Prosecutors' Office for investigation for allegedly making sexually explicit and indecent comments and violating the Criminal Code.
Jason Ho (何吉森), director of the commission's Communication Content Department, said the commission had received public complaints that the program host had talked about sex organs and sexual behavior in detail.
Ho said the program had been reviewed by an independent content review committee composed of media experts.
“The committee ruled that the content has violated Article 235 of the Criminal Code, which pertains to the offense of indecency. It has decided to turn the case over to the prosecutors' office [in Pingtung],” Ho said, adding that the program had also violated the Broadcasting and Television Act (廣播電視法).
Ho said the program was produced by Smile Taiwan radio station in Pingtung County, and was simultaneously aired in another station in the county and one other station in Hsinchu County.
The program was created to sell virility-enhancement drugs which had been penalized by the Department of Health six times, Ho said.
After receiving the complaints, the NCC suspended the program on May 26.
Even if prosecutors decide not to press charges against the radio station and the host, Ho said the commission could still fine Smile Taiwan NT$510,000, as well as the two other stations NT$390,000 each based on the Broadcasting and Television Act.
In other news, the content review committee also fined Formosa TV's Night Market Life (夜市人生)and SET TV's Parents' Love (天下父母心) NT$300,000 and NT$600,000 respectively for airing content that was inappropriate with the TV programs' classification.
GTV also received a warning from the commission for showing explicit gory details in the killing of a soft-shell turtle and a crocodile. As the television station has no record of violations in the program classification category, the committee only issued a warning.
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