Jacky Wu (吳宗憲), a popular TV variety show host who has dubbed himself “the local king” (本土天王), appeared undeterred despite legal action brought against him by cable station TVBS over his recent comments about the TV station’s political stance.
The spat stemmed from remarks reportedly made by Wu on Wednesday last week alleging that the Government Information Office (GIO) and TVBS were the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT), while SET-TV was the Democratic Progressive Party’s.
In response, TVBS spokesperson Yeh Yu-chun (葉毓君), saying that the KMT does not have a stake in TVBS, said that Wu’s comments had in effect slandered thousands of workers at TVBS.
Yeh said that Wu would face legal action from the company if he did not make a public apology within three days.
Not backing down despite the legal threat, Wu said on Friday last week that he would not apologize.
“Taiwanese media are all colored. If I were to say: ‘My statement that TVBS is pan-blue is wrong,’ then I am sorry, I’m color-blind,” Wu said. “Why don’t we hold a survey asking people in Taiwan whether they think TVBS is pan-blue or pan-green? If everyone said that it was pan-green, I would apologize.”
TVBS filed charges against Wu on Tuesday.
Insisting that he did not say TVBS is the KMT’s, but merely said that it was pan-blue, Wu on Thursday said: “I’ve truly spoken with a sincere conscience.”
Wu added that on Friday last week, he also made suggestions regarding the GIO’s subsidies for popular music, but none of those suggestions were reported by the press.
“Or is it that only the press has freedom of expression and that we as individuals don’t?” he said.
Veteran TV host Chang Fei (張菲), when asked for comments on the incident, said that Wu was probably swayed by his feelings and acted rashly, “but he is only stating a truth that everyone knows.”
TRANSLATED BY JAKE CHUNG, STAFF WRITER
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