An academic yesterday urged the government to take the percentage of locally produced programs a TV channel transmits into consideration when deciding whether to renew broadcast licenses.
“There are still ways to salvage the nation’s TV industry if everyone faces the crisis honestly,” National Chung Cheng University professor Luo Shih-hung (羅世宏) said. “The government should increase funding for locally produced TV programs and limit the broadcast of programs imported from China and other nations. The funding for public broadcasting channels should also be increased.”
Meanwhile, the percentage of a TV network’s locally produced programs, as well as the funding for such programs should be an important gauge in the evaluation of the performance of the network and the decision on whether to renew its broadcasting license.”
Luo made the remarks in a letter to the Chinese-language Apple Daily in response to the controversy generated by recent nominations for the 50th edition of the Golden Bell Award.
Lan Tsu-wei (藍祖蔚), who chaired the award’s review committee, said the committee members originally did not want to nominate any program for the variety show category because of the declining quality of these shows, adding that in general they “lack creativity, offer low-level entertainment and provide nothing informative.”
He added that members came up with a short list for the variety show category, which nominated only three programs instead of the traditional five, via multiple rounds of discussion, even though some members of the committee suggested they leave this category vacant.
Lan’s remarks were considered humiliating by some of the nation’s entertainers. Variety show host Jacky Wu (吳宗憲) said the remarks insulted the entire entertainment business and encouraged netizens to find out who the review committee members are.
Luo said Lan’s remarks do not only apply to Taiwanese variety shows, they also apply to the nation’s TV series, news programs and talk shows.
Luo said Taiwan needs to understand that the quality of its variety shows has fallen behind those of China and South Korea. The reasons include a drastic decrease in the money spent on producing TV shows by Taiwanese production companies, insufficient government subsidies and a shortage of talented artists and producers.
China has made great strides in its production of variety shows, Luo said.
The main problem with Taiwanese variety shows is that they do not have the competitive edge necessary to attract viewers, Luo said, adding that Taiwan’s television networks could deteriorate to an inconceivable degree if Chinese shows come to dominate Taiwan’s airwaves.
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
Carrefour Taiwan is to begin using a new name from the start of July, but it cannot divulge the name until then, the chairman of the supermarket chain's parent company said today. President Chain Store Co chairman Lo Chih-hsien (羅智先) was asked by reporters after a shareholders' meeting to confirm whether the company has settled on a new name for the supermarket brand. In March, the government-registered name of two Carrefour Taiwan branches was quietly changed to "Le Chia Kang" (樂家康) in Chinese, raising speculation that has been selected as the name. Lo said that because of local regulations and contractual obligations, the
The Philippines would likely be involved in any conflict over Taiwan due to its proximity to the democracy claimed by China, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said, reiterating a stance that risks angering Beijing. “In the Philippines, we do not have a choice because Taiwan is so close to the Philippines and we have almost 200,000 Filipino nationals living and working in Taiwan,” Marcos said in an interview with Japanese media in Manila on Monday. The Philippine leader’s comments come ahead of a state visit to Japan next week, where he is to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to discuss security
RSS