The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that it does not selectively enforce the law, following criticism that the agency has only monitored elections news on certain TV stations.
The agency on Wednesday said that it had submitted recordings of Television Broadcasts Satellite (TVBS) and CTi TV news programs that aired on Wednesday last week to the Central Election Commission (CEC) after receiving complaints that their coverage of tomorrow’s nine-in-one local elections was biased.
A number of media experts then accused the NCC of selectively enforcing the law, saying that it only looked at the election news reported by TVBS and CTi TV without considering that of other news channels.
Photo: Wang Shan-yen, Taipei Times
The NCC yesterday said that apart from the two cases announced on Wednesday, it has received complaints about other broadcasts regarding the elections and referendums.
Some of those complaints were about TV commercials produced by groups opposing same-sex marriage, which were accused of using false and discriminatory messaging to mislead the public, it said.
Taiwan Television (TTV) was accused of airing content that is inappropriate for audiences aged six or younger in its broadcast on Nov. 7 of a same-sex marriage referendums debate, in which a gay marriage opponent described his experience as a homosexual, the NCC said.
TVBS and Next TV were accused of providing biased news coverage in their broadcasts of a Taipei mayoral candidates debate on Nov. 11, as they did not air a presentation by National Taiwan University politics professor Lee Si-kuen (李錫錕), who is running as an independent, it said.
Formosa TV was accused of contravening the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法) for broadcasting the results of an opinion poll within 10 days of the election, it added.
Nearly all TV channels have aired commercials produced by opponents of same-sex marriage, which NCC spokesman Wong Po-tsung (翁柏宗) said have all also been submitted to the CEC.
In addition to TVBS and CTi TV, contentious election content broadcast by TTV, Next TV and Formosa TV has also been referred to the CEC, which demonstrates that the NCC has not targeted any TV station specifically, he said.
As the CEC is tasked with enforcing the act, it is to determine whether broadcast content has broken the law, the NCC said.
“As the administrative authority for broadcast media, we hope that the media can cover the election independently, professionally and fairly,” the NCC said. “This would help avoid intensifying conflicts between people.”
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS