Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) yesterday called on President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to scrutinize would-be buyers of Next Media Group’s Taiwanese assets and prevent potential damage to freedom of expression.
Su made the remarks at a press conference attended by all DPP lawmakers.
Next Media, founded by Hong Kong media magnate Jimmy Lai (黎智英), began operating in Taiwan in 2003. The company said it would sell its Taiwanese print and television businesses on Oct. 1 because of reported losses of more than NT$10 billion (US$340 million) in the television sector.
The consortium, led by ChinaTrust Charity Foundation chairman Jeffrey Koo Jr (辜仲諒) is expected to sign a deal with Next Media today to buy the Apple Daily, Next Magazine, Sharp Daily and Next TV for NT$17.5 billion, according to a letter of intent the group signed with the would-be buyers on Oct. 15.
One of the parties in the deal is Want Want China Times Group (旺旺中時集團) chairman Tsai Eng-meng (蔡衍明), who has extensive business holdings in China and owns the China Times.
Some fear that Tsai’s group will become a behemoth dominating Taiwan’s media landscape if the deal goes through.
Su said the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) used political power in the past to suppress freedom of expression and is again using its political power to try to curtail press freedom and freedom of information by collaborating with the consortium.
He demanded that the Fair Trade Commission, Financial Supervisory Commission, and National Communications Commissions adopt strict guidelines in reviewing the case.
Su said that the DPP caucus will present proposals to amend the Radio and Television Act (廣播電視法), the Cable Television Act (有線電視法) and the Satellite Broadcasting Act (衛星廣播電視法) in a bid to prevent a media monopoly.
Additional reporting by CNA
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
The US Department of State on Monday reaffirmed that US policy on Taiwan remains unchanged, following US President Donald Trump’s use of the term “unification” while commenting on recent trade talks with China. Speaking at a wide-ranging press conference, Trump described what he viewed as progress in trade negotiations with China held in Geneva, Switzerland, over the weekend. “They’ve agreed to open China — fully open China, and I think it’s going to be fantastic for China. I think it’s going to be fantastic for us,” Trump said. “I think it’s going to be great for unification and peace.” Trump’s use of the
RSS