The National Communications Commission is scheduled to submit two proposals to the Cabinet by April to help facilitate the switch from analog to digital for terrestrial TV services.
The government hopes to phase out analog signals by 2012.
One of the proposals will suggest that the government subsidize all viewing households in buying set-top boxes, while the other would propose that the government subsidize low-income families only.
Should the Cabinet opt for the first proposal, each household would receive a subsidy to buy one set-top box. If it chooses the second option, the government will subsidize the purchase, including the set-top boxes, cables and antennas.
The first proposal is estimated to cost the nation about NT$10.5 billion (US$300 million), while the second is expected to cost NT$200 million.
Before formulating the proposals, the commission has reviewed developments in Japan, South Korea, the US, the UK and Germany.
Japan and South Korea only subsidized low-income families. The US, on the other hand, provided each viewing household a US$40 coupon to purchase a set-top box. It withdrew analog services last June. The UK and Germany did not provide any subsidy.
Taiwan has about 7 million households with TV, including about 100,000 that are considered low-income households.
Only five TV networks offer digital broadcasting: Taiwan Television, China Television, Chinese Television Service, Formosa Television and the Public Television Service.
The commission also hoped that the government would consider providing high-definition TV services if it chooses the first proposal. The massive demand for set-top boxes will help lower the costs of the set-top boxes and make them more affordable.
It could also serve as an opportunity to develop the digital content industry, with Taiwan currently trailing behind South Korea.
A Keelung high school on Saturday night apologized for using a picture containing a Chinese flag on the cover of the senior yearbook, adding that it has recalled the books and pledged to provide students new ones before graduation on Thursday. Of 309 Affiliated Keelung Maritime Senior High School of National Taiwan Ocean University graduates, 248 had purchased the yearbook. Some students said that the printer committed an outrageous error in including the picture, while others said that nobody would notice such a small flag on the cover. Other students said that they cared more about the photographs of classmates and what was
GOING INTERNATIONAL: Rakuten Girls squad leader Ula Shen said she was surprised that baseball fans outside of Taiwan not only knew of them, but also knew their names Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Oakland Athletics on Saturday hosted its first Taiwanese Heritage Day event at the Oakland Coliseum with a performance by Taiwanese cheerleading squad the Rakuten Girls and a video message from Vice President William Lai (賴清德). The Rakuten Girls, who are the cheerleaders for the CPBL’s Rakuten Monkeys, performed in front of a crowd of more than 2,000 people, followed by a prerecorded address by Lai about Taiwan’s baseball culture and democratic spirit. Taiwanese pitcher Sha Tzu-chen (沙子宸), who was signed by the Athletics earlier this year, was also present. Mizuki Lin (林襄), considered a “baseball cheerleading goddess” by Taiwanese
WAY OF THE RUKAI: ‘Values deemed worthy often exist amid discomfort, so when people go against the flow, nature becomes entwined with our lives,’ a student said “Run, don’t walk” after your dreams, Nvidia cofounder and chief executive officer Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) told National Taiwan University (NTU) graduates yesterday, as several major universities held in-person graduation ceremonies for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. “What will you create? Whatever it is, run after it. Run, don’t walk. Remember, either you’re running for food, or you are running from becoming food. Oftentimes, you can’t tell which. Either way, run,” he said. Huang was one of several tech executives addressing graduating students at Taiwanese universities. National Chengchi University held two ceremonies, with alumnus Patrick Pan (潘先國), who is head of Taiwan
A 14-legged giant isopod is the highlight of a new dish at a ramen restaurant in Taipei and it has people lining up — both for pictures and for a bite from this bowl of noodles. Since “The Ramen Boy” launched the limited-edition noodle bowl on Monday last week, declaring in a social media post that it had “finally got this dream ingredient,” more than 100 people have joined a waiting list to dine at the restaurant. “It is so attractive because of its appearance — it looks very cute,” said the 37-year-old owner of the restaurant, who wanted to be
RSS