Amid allegations that the Govern-ment Information Office (GIO) had meddled in the selection process for the new chairman of the Public Television Service (PTS), Louis Chen (陳春山), a law professor and attorney at law, was elected to take the helm at the independent body yesterday.
GIO Director-General Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) described the selection process as "a competition of gentlemen" and pledged to cooperate with the PTS to push for digitization of the media industry, as well as the integration of several TV stations into a big public television network.
"The allegation that we interfere in the election process is malicious and erroneous," Lin told reporters after yesterday's ceremony to inaugurate the new PTS chairman.
"I'm calling on the media to exercise prudence in their reporting and to use correct information," Lin said.
Speculation has been rife that the GIO tampered with the selection process and maneuvered to eliminate Weng Hsiu-chi (翁秀琪), the director of National Chengchi University's School of Mass Communication, in favor of Chen, a financial law expert.
Media reports have quoted anonymous board members as saying that they would resign en masse if Chen becomes the new PTS chairman, because they did not think he was qualified.
"It's impossible for us to exercise political pressure to sway [board members'] decisions, because each and every one of them has his or her own expertise and way of thinking," Lin said.
He also came to Chen's defense, saying that only time will tell whether or not he is fit for the job.
"Although he's not a media expert, he has participated in several of our media reform projects in the past," he said.
Chen, 43, received his PhD in law from the University of Ottawa, and is an attorney at the law firm of Chen & Associates. He also teaches finance law at National Taipei University. He is a former member of the GIO's radio station review committee.
Former chairman Wu Feng-shan (
"Over the past six years, during my stint, it was quite fortunate that the former two presidents, four premiers, seven GIO chiefs and all political leaders respected the spirit of independent operation outlined in the Public Television Law (公共電視法)," he said.
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
There are 77 incidents of Taiwanese travelers going missing in China between January last year and last month, the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) said. More than 40 remain unreachable, SEF Secretary-General Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉) said on Friday. Most of the reachable people in the more than 30 other incidents were allegedly involved in fraud, while some had disappeared for personal reasons, Luo said. One of these people is Kuo Yu-hsuan (郭宇軒), a 22-year-old Taiwanese man from Kaohsiung who went missing while visiting China in August. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office last month said in a news statement that he was under investigation
PRO-CHINA SLOGANS: Two DPP members criticized police officers’ lack of action at the scene, saying that law enforcement authorities should investigate the incident Chinese tourists allegedly interrupted a protest in Taipei on Tuesday held by Hong Kongers, knocked down several flags and shouted: “Taiwan and Hong Kong belong to China.” Hong Kong democracy activists were holding a demonstration as Tuesday was China’s National Day. A video posted online by civic group Hong Kong Outlanders shows a couple, who are allegedly Chinese, during the demonstration. “Today is China’s National Day, and I won’t allow the displaying of these flags,” the male yells in the video before pushing some demonstrators and knocking down a few flagpoles. Radio Free Asia reported that some of the demonstrators
An aviation jacket patch showing a Formosan black bear punching Winnie the Pooh has become popular overseas, including at an aviation festival held by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force at the Ashiya Airbase yesterday. The patch was designed last year by Taiwanese designer Hsu Fu-yu (徐福佑), who said that it was inspired by Taiwan’s countermeasures against frequent Chinese military aircraft incursions. The badge shows a Formosan black bear holding a Republic of China flag as it punches Winnie the Pooh — a reference to Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) — who is dressed in red and is holding a honey pot with
RSS