The Campaign for TV Democracy(無線電視民主化聯盟) used the 40th anniversary of the introduction of TV to Taiwan yesterday to condemn President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) for failing to follow through on promised media reform.
Three members of the campaign, which drafted Chen's 2000 Mass Media White Paper during his presidential campaign, also resigned from their positions on the boards of Chinese Television System (CTS) and Taiwan Television (TTV) in protest. They had been appointed by the government to assist with the stations' transitions under proposed reforms shortly after the DPP came to power.
The group, comprising 15 professors of communications and journalism, was founded in 2000 to promote media reform and was active in Chen's presidential bid.
It has since led the campaign for media reform, vigorously lobbying legislators and keeping the call for reform in the public eye.
"We condemn President Chen and the Executive Yuan's equivocation on their own promises. We protest against the government's vacillating attitude over the issue, and urge it to introduce an immediate timetable for media reform," a press release distributed by the campaign stated.
The issue of how to handle the two TV channels in which the government owns shares has been the subject of much controversy.
Government ownership
The Campaign has urged the government to acquire 100 percent ownership of TTV, in which it is currently the largest shareholder with a 47.39 percent stake, and CTS (of which it currently owns 74.95 percent).
The group says the government should allow the stations to operate as advertiser-supported channels without government editorial interference.
The group maintains the move would allow the two stations to thrive while providing quality public service broadcasting without having to be preoccupied by market forces and free competition.
Opposition legislators, however, insist that the government sell all its shares in TTV and CTS. They argue that the Campaign's proposal would be a financial liability to the government and make for more, not less, political interference in the stations' content.
Former director-general of the Government Information Office (GIO's), Su Tzen-ping (
Then, following a government reshuffle at the start of the new legislative term in February, Arthur Iap (
"We need more evaluation on both proposals dealing with the two stations' future," Iap reiterated yesterday.
The campaign's executive director, Feng Chien-san (
Waiting game
"Iap just hasn't done anything," Feng said.
DPP legislator Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉), who submitted a separate proposal consistent with the Campaign's idea in the last legislative session, said the DPP planned a legislative committee review of his proposal in coming weeks. If passed by the committee, the proposal would progress to its second reading by a full session of the Legislative Yuan.
The government's stakes in TTV and CTS predate the Chen administration. TTV was founded in 1962 and CTS in 1972, both with investment from the KMT government.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
RSS