The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday asked the management of Da Ai TV (大愛電視台) to visit the commission next week to explain the cancelation of its new television series, Jiachang’s Heart (智子之心), and if the decision had something to do with pressure from China.
The TV network, funded and operated by the Tzu Chi Culture and Communication Foundation, had originally produced 35 episodes for the new series, which was based on the story of 91-year-old Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation volunteer Lin Chih-hui (林智惠).
Having been dedicated to nursing all her life, Lin served as a Japanese military nurse in Hong Kong and Guangzhou, China, when she was 18 against her family’s wishes.
The series was canceled after only two episodes had been aired.
The series was reportedly canceled because Chinese netizens criticized it for romanticizing the 1937 to 1945 Second Sino-Japanese War.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office also reportedly expressed concerns about the content of the series.
The network denied that it had canceled the series because of political intervention, adding that it had filled the time slot with another series.
NCC spokesman Wong Po-tsung (翁柏宗) said the commission’s preliminary investigation showed that the network has apparently mishandled the situation and failed to maintain the independence of program production and the network’s operations.
“The network said that it voluntarily canceled the broadcast of the series for the sake of ‘maintaining a harmonious operation,’ but what did it mean by ‘maintaining a harmonious operation?’ We have asked the network to come to the commission next week to present its case, in which it must explain in detail why it canceled the series,” Wong said.
Even though there is no direct evidence to show that China attempted to interfere in program production, Wong said that the commission opposes any overseas political interference in the operations of Taiwanese media .
“The network can decide if it should air or cancel the broadcast of a TV series, but this matter affected not only the independence of broadcast media, but also the access of the viewers to quality content, as well as the interests of the actors and crew who help produce the series,” Wong said.
In related news, the NCC yesterday approved changes of the board directors of Eastern TV, which was sold to Mao Te International Investment Co.
Former China Steel chairman Lin Wen-yuan (林文淵) and former National Property Administration deputy director Chang Fan (張璠) were among the new directors.
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