Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsu Shao-ping (徐少萍) yesterday defended a proposal to regulate Internet-based Next TV after she and other KMT lawmakers were accused of undermining freedom of expression.
During a press conference, Hsu said she was simply doing her job by addressing public concerns over Next TV’s Internet broadcasts, which rely on controversial animations that may be unsuitable for certain audiences.
“If I had not highlighted the problem, I would have failed in my duties as legislator,” she said, adding that although she supported Internet freedom, there should still be limits.
Hsu, along with 18 KMT legislators and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Huang Wei-cher (黃偉哲), proposed a motion on Tuesday last week urging the National Communications Commission (NCC) to regulate Next TV.
After the motion was tabled, the legislature elected to refer it to the Executive Yuan for consideration.
Next TV launched its online broadcast at the end of July. At the time, the NCC had yet to -decide whether to grant the network operation licenses to broadcast its news, information and entertainment channels.
In August, the NCC’s Communication Content Department Director Jason Ho (何吉森) said that unlike content on TV or radio, the government had adopted a policy of low supervision regarding Internet content, adding that the commission would have to use different standards to evaluate online content. Soon afterward, the NCC said it would take a close look at Next TV Internet broadcasts.
Hsu and the legislators’ proposal prompted the Chinese--language Apply Daily, a sister outlet of the network, to lambast lawmakers in a front-page story yesterday.
The story quoted writer Chu Hsueh-heng (朱學恆), who posted the proposal on his Facebook page, as defending Next TV, saying that any government attempt to screen media content would have a “chilling effect.”
DPP caucus whip Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) was quoted as saying that this was all part of efforts by the KMT to curtail freedom of speech in Taiwan.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY STAFF WRITER
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