Academics and legislators yesterday urged the National Communications Commission (NCC) to hold more public hearings on the review of a proposed merger between Want Want Group and China Network Systems (CNS), and asked group chairman Tsai Eng-meng (蔡衍明) to clarify questions about the concentration of media power and media abuse.
At a press conference held by the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) caucus, commission officials were asked to answer questions on the current status of a review of the proposed merger of Want Want Group and CNS, a merger that has been publicly opposed by several academics and civic groups for fear that a media monopoly would be created.
Taipei Society director Huang Kuo-chang’s (黃國昌) asked about a rumor among media service providers that the merger was scheduled to be approved before July, but commission Business Management Department director Chen Kuo-long (陳國龍) said: “I’ve never heard of that or know anything about it.”
Huang said media reports have suggested that China’s Taiwan Affairs Office has interfered with the management of Want Want Group’s personnel and he encouraged the commission to look into the matter to determine if the rumor has any foundation.
Chang Chin-hwa (張錦華), a professor at National Taiwan University’s Graduate Institute of Journalism, said the merger shows that the regulations are ambiguous when it comes to preventing a media monopoly and the commission’s legal authority is not specific enough.
Chang urged the commission to protect media diversity by amending related regulations so that social resources would not be wasted on the review of such mergers in the future.
Jang Show-ling (鄭秀玲), a professor of economics at the university, said the commission’s own formula shows the media concentration index of the group would be 140 percent if the merger was approved, much higher than the limit of 30 percent used in Germany.
Jang said about 10 public hearings were held before the attempted purchase of T-Mobile USA by AT&T before the merger bid was withdrawn, so the commission should hold more than just the two hearings already held to clarify all the controversies before making a final decision.
TSU caucus whip Hsu Chung-hsin (許忠信) said the commission should examine the investors in detail to determine if any of the money in the proposed merger is coming from China.
Hsu also said the commission should hold a public hearing and ask that the customers, other stakeholders and Tsai all attend.
Kao Fu-yao (高福堯), director of the commission’s Legal Affairs Department, told the press conference that the commission makes all its decisions through a collegiate system, and he would take all the suggestions back to the commission for discussion.
He promised that the commission would review the proposed merger according to the law.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
RSS