The National Communications Commission (NCC) announced yesterday that the government is to release 33 new radio licenses, adding that procedures to acquire them could begin in the second half of this year.
Issuing new radio licenses is part of the government’s plan to address issues generated by underground radio stations, the commission said, adding that illegal radio stations have all been removed from the airwaves after a massive crackdown.
NCC Department of Planning deputy director Chi Hsiao-cheng (紀效正) said the number of licenses to be released was determined after the commission held discussions with all parties involved in the broadcasting business, including licensed radio operators and owners of underground radio stations.
He said the plan is to be submitted to the Executive Yuan for final approval within a week or 10 days after it was approved by the commission yesterday.
Only one license is to be reserved for the establishment of a high-power radio station, enabling the operator to offer a national broadcasting service. Eight licenses are reserved for those seeking to operate medium-power radio stations, for regional services.
Twenty-three licenses are for the development of low-power radio stations, including 22 for FM broadcasting service and one for an AM broadcasting service.
Chi said that the licenses for medium and high-power radio stations are to be granted after an initial review procedure followed by an auction, while those for low-power stations are to go through a public tender.
Chi said that this is the first time the government has used public tenders for radio licenses, adding that the commission has worked with local governments to develop rules for the tenders.
“The commission is to lay out general rules, while local government officials can provide additional rules, as long as they do not contravene the Radio and Television Act (廣播電視法),” he said.
The Taipei Department of Health yesterday said it has launched a probe into a restaurant at Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store after a customer died of suspected food poisoning. A preliminary investigation on Sunday found missing employee health status reports and unsanitary kitchen utensils at Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in the department store’s basement food court, the department said. No direct relationship between the food poisoning death and the restaurant was established, as no food from the day of the incident was available for testing and no other customers had reported health complaints, it said, adding that the investigation is ongoing. Later
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