Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) legislators once again collaborated to vote against the appointments of four new National Communications Commission (NCC) commissioners. This decision has further mired the already dysfunctional agency in uncertainty.
The commission, which regulates online media, broadcast media and telecommunications in the country, has not been able to rule on any case since December last year due to the inability to meet the quorum, which requires a minimum of four NCC members to be present. There are currently only three commissioners.
Some blamed former NCC chairman Chen Yaw-shyang (陳耀祥) for the conundrum. It was Chen who restricted the quorum to 50 percent of the statutory number of members, instead of half of the current number of members.
However, KMT and TPP lawmakers should be held accountable for the situation, as they have not only sabotaged the appointments of new commissioners, but also weakened the regulator.
They last year rejected four commissioner candidates nominated by the Executive Yuan, including former NCC deputy chairman Wong Po-tsung (翁柏宗), saying that the candidates aligned themselves with the agenda of the pan-green camp. Wong was nominated as commission chairman.
After Wong was appointed acting chairperson by the Executive Yuan, KMT and TPP lawmakers proposed amendments to the National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法), banning commissioners from serving more than two terms and forcing Wong to leave his job in December.
The Executive Yuan in July nominated another set of commissioners: National Cheng Kung University computer science and information engineering professor Chiang Jung-hsien (蔣榮先), Soochow University law professor Cherng Ming-shiou (程明修), National Chengchi University professor Vivian Huang (黃葳威) and Shih Hsin University assistant professor Lo Huei-wen (羅慧雯).
The commission was structured with staggered terms for commissioners to ensure stability of the institution and consistency of communication policies, an NCC official said.
KMT legislators have been using nominees’ opinion on the commission’s decision not to renew the operating license of CTi News as a “litmus test” for their stance on press freedom and media independence.
KMT Legislator Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) said reforming the NCC requires a structural adjustment, rather than mere personnel change, adding that “the commission had a track record of abusing its authority to harm the freedom of the press.”
The KMT caucus also plans to propose amendments to NCC regulations, he said.
The Executive Yuan should consult opposition lawmakers about possible candidates, he added.
Changes proposed by the KMT include ending the impasse regarding CTi News — the party believes the broadcaster was punished for advocating cross-strait unification — and ensuring that NCC commissioners adopt a light-handed approach in regulating news channels with pro-China agendas.
The NCC said that as of Nov. 7, it had 431 major cases pending, most of which involve deciding on license renewals, changes in management and channel line-ups proposed by broadcast media and cable systems, and determining penalties for those who contravene NCC regulations.
It is also proposing legislation to better manage phone numbers to prevent exploitation by scammers.
With a dysfunctional regulator, people’s complaints against television stations and telecom providers are falling on deaf ears. The blame for this lies squarely with KMT and TPP legislators, who have left the NCC in disarray and could care less about how people feel.
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