Former TTV Culture Co's general manager Yao Wen-chih (
Prior to being tapped for the Cabinet post, Yao was also the head of Indigenous TV -- one of TTV's subsidiaries, which is slated to be launched on July 1.
"I am quite proud of the establishment of the new TV station for my fellow Aboriginal people and I will keep working hard for them even after I leave the station," Yao said.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
To encourage his fellow employees at the station, Yao said that he urged everybody to name themselves in an Aboriginal language. He calls himself "Pasuya."
"`Pasuya' is a name from the Tsou tribe (
The Tsou tribe is one of 12 indigenous tribes with a population of approximately 7,000. Most Tsou people live in Alishan, Chiayi County's most famous scenic attraction, Kaohsiung County and Nantou County.
During his first meeting with reporters at the GIO on Wednesday, Yao said that his first priority at the GIO will be to gather more resources and contribute them to the nation's movie industry.
"It is still early for me to give any details of my `plans' since I have not officially begun to work here. But, re-igniting Taiwan's movie industry is definitely my priority," Yao said.
He said approximately 20 movies are made per year here.
"One hundred movies a year will be my goal for now. But that will require a lot of work, for sure," Yao said.
Not everyone has been happy with Yao's appointment. On Friday, People First Party (PFP) Legislator Chiu Yi (
"It is my understanding that Yao stepped down as the deputy secretary-general of the Kaohsiung City Government because he allegedly accepted bribes from local businessmen," Chiu said. "Is this the person you chose to be your new GIO minister?"
However, Hsieh fully endorsed Yao, saying he was the right person for the post.
The premier said that Yao left the city government because he was planning to study abroad. He said the alleged bribery case had been investigated and Yao's innocence confirmed.
"Yao has been working with me for years and he knows me well. With his background and work experience, I think he is the perfect choice for the GIO post," Hsieh told Chiu.
Born on Dec. 4, 1965 in Hsinchu, Yao is no stranger to journalism and politics because he has devoted himself to both professions since he graduated from college in 1988.
Yao holds a bachelor's degree in mass communication from Fu-jen Catholic University and a masters in politics from National Chengchi University, which he received in 1993.
In 1989, Yao began his first job as a reporter for the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times' sister newspaper). After 12 months, he took a sabbatical and then returned to the newspaper as a copy editor in 1992 and stayed for another two years.
In 1994, Yao decided to help Hsieh, who was then a DPP lawmaker, by working for him as a legislative aide. That was the beginning of their working relationship, which is believed to be the prime reason behind his getting the GIO job.
One year later, the DPP chose Peng Ming-min (
After the election loss, Hsieh continued his legislative career and Yao worked as Hsieh's chief aide in his Kaohsiung office until 1998.
Hsieh became Kaohsiung mayor in 1998 and Yao became spokesman for the Kaohsiung City Government, a job he held until 2000, when he was promoted to be deputy secretary-general of the city government.
In 2003, Yao left the Kaohsiung City Government with the plan to pursue a doctorate degree abroad. However, he ended up joining the TTV as a general manager for its Culture Co last year.
More than half of the bamboo vipers captured in Tainan in the past few years were found in the city’s Sinhua District (新化), while other districts had smaller catches or none at all. Every year, Tainan captures about 6,000 snakes which have made their way into people’s homes. Of the six major venomous snakes in Taiwan, the cobra, the many-banded krait, the brown-spotted pit viper and the bamboo viper are the most frequently captured. The high concentration of bamboo vipers captured in Sinhua District is puzzling. Tainan Agriculture Bureau Forestry and Nature Conservation Division head Chu Chien-ming (朱健明) earlier this week said that the
NAMING SPAT: The foreign ministry called on Denmark to propose an acceptable solution to the erroneous nationality used for Taiwanese on residence permits Taiwan has revoked some privileges for Danish diplomatic staff over a Danish permit that lists “Taiwan” as “China,” Eric Huang (黃鈞耀), head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of European Affairs, told a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Reporters asked Huang whether the Danish government had responded to the ministry’s request that it correct the nationality on Danish residence permits of Taiwanese, which has been listed as “China” since 2024. Taiwan’s representative office in Denmark continues to communicate with the Danish government, and the ministry has revoked some privileges previously granted to Danish representatives in Taiwan and would continue to review
The first bluefin tuna of the season, brought to shore in Pingtung County and weighing 190kg, was yesterday auctioned for NT$10,600 (US$333.5) per kilogram, setting a record high for the local market. The auction was held at the fish market in Donggang Fishing Harbor, where the Siaoliouciou Island-registered fishing vessel Fu Yu Ching No. 2 delivered the “Pingtung First Tuna” it had caught for bidding. Bidding was intense, and the tuna was ultimately jointly purchased by a local restaurant and a local company for NT$10,600 per kilogram — NT$300 ,more than last year — for a total of NT$2.014 million. The 67-year-old skipper
BREACH OF CONTRACT: The bus operators would seek compensation and have demanded that the manufacturer replace the chips with ones that meet regulations Two bus operators found to be using buses with China-made chips are to demand that the original manufacturers replace the systems and provide compensation for breach of contract, the Veterans Affairs Council said yesterday. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Michelle Lin (林楚茵) yesterday said that Da Nan Bus Co and Shin-Shin Bus Co Ltd have fielded a total of 82 buses that are using Chinese chips. The bus models were made by Tron-E, while the systems provider was CYE Electronics, Lin said. Lin alleged that the buses were using chips manufactured by Huawei subsidiary HiSilicon Co, which presents a national security risk if the
RSS