The Executive Yuan's Council of Indigenous Peoples (CIP) yesterday received approval from the Legislative Yuan for its budget on program planning and personnel training for an Aboriginal television channel. However, the agency will have to wait until the next legislative session to get approval for actual broadcasting.
The CIP yesterday presented a report to the Legislative Yuan, hoping for approval of a proposed NT$3 billion budget for the channel. However, due to lingering doubts about reception quality in Aboriginal communities, the Legislative Yuan approved the use of only NT$2 million for broadcasting preparations, and withheld funds for broadcasting.
The CIP had said previously that if the budget were approved, broadcasting would begin in September.
Last year the CIP budgeted over NT$3 billion for the establishment of an Aboriginal television channel. The plan did not clear the Legislative Yuan due to reception concerns. The CIP was told to investigate the reception issue and report to the Legislative Yuan, stipulating that reception must be raised to at least 60 percent in order for the budget to be approved.
In yesterday's report, the CIP summarized the results of the investigation. To address concerns that mountain communities would experience signal interference, the CIP described its collaboration with the Government Information Office (GIO) regarding direct satellite broadcasting. The council said satellite broadcasting solves interference problems because signals are not blocked by landscape features.
Council Chairman Chen Chien-nien (
"Satellite broadcasting has solved the problem of signal range. However, because many indigenous people earn lower incomes and have a lower quality of life, many households do not have the basic equipment to receive broadcasts, such as antenna access or a television set," Chen said.
According to a CIP and GIO survey, over 10,500 Aboriginal households in Taiwan lack the necessities to access programming.
The council's proposal laid out plans to broadcast at least six hours of original programming each day that would include news, educational, informational and entertainment programming, with a focus on Aboriginal culture and issues. The council also promised yesterday that at least 70 percent of the channel's staff would be Aboriginal.
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