A TV commercial for the Chinese mobile game Dynasty Legends (極無雙) has been taken down following complaints that it had overtly sexist content, National Communications Commission (NCC) Chairwoman Nicole Chan (詹婷怡) said yesterday.
The commercial featured a man pushing the head of a busty woman down to about his abdomen, while the woman says: “I am going to help you play a good game.”
The commercial was broadcast during prime-time hours when younger viewers were watching.
Golden Bell Award winner Wu Kang-ren (吳慷仁) said on Facebook that the commercial disrespected women and misguided young adults.
He questioned why the NCC failed to review the commercial before its launch, adding that the ad was “really not funny at all.”
Wu’s comments quickly drew attention online, with one netizen saying she was troubled and angered by the TV commercial, because her child kept asking why the man pressed the woman’s head down.
The ad also met with close scrutiny at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee in Taipei yesterday morning, with lawmakers asking the NCC what it planned to do about it.
In response, Chan said that for now, channel operators have voluntarily taken down the commercial.
The NCC would refer the case to a committee formed by independent experts, who would review the commercial and determine if it indeed breached media regulations, she said.
In its commitment to protect free speech, the government does not censor media content, including TV commercials, Chan said, adding that the Council of Grand Justices had ruled as unconstitutional a penalty handed to a Japanese cosmetics firm for failing to submit its commercial for pre-launch censorship.
“However, media content must not breach the Protection of Children and Youths Welfare and Rights Act (兒童及少年福利與權益保障法) or other regulations,” Chan said.
The Satellite Television Broadcasting Association on Sunday informed its members to stop broadcasting the commercial following complaints from multiple viewers and an internal discussion, association secretary-general May Chen (陳依玫) said, adding that association members had ceased airing the commercial by Sunday night.
The game developer could face a fine of up to NT$2 million (US$67,732) if the ad is deemed to contravene the Radio and Television Act (廣播電視法), the NCC said.
In other developments, Chan said the NCC would continue arbitrating the dispute between Formosa TV and Taiwan Broadband Communications (TBC), as their disagreement over content authorization fees continues.
The commission would not intervene in discussion over the fees, Chan said, but added that it would maintain order in the market and protect consumer interests.
Formosa TV insists that TBC broadcast all three of its channels and pay a content authorization fee for each, but TBC intends only to carry FTV News and refuses to pay three fees.
“FTV News is a must-carry channel, but the network’s two other channels are not,” Chan said. “Should the negotiation fail and TBC remove the channels, we would intervene.”
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