A proposed amendment to the Broadcasting and Television Act (廣播電視法) was voted down at the legislative Transportation Committee yesterday after it ran into opposition from government officials, legislators and TV station representatives.
The draft proposal from Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chen Ken-te (陳根德) and 17 other legislators sought to add a new clause to Article 7 of the Broadcasting and Television Act stipulating that programs produced by Public Television Service (PTS) and other terrestrial TV networks must be aired free of charge on broadcasting platforms, such as Chunghwa Telecom’s multimedia-on-demand system.
The amendment also forbade PTS and other terrestrial TV networks from altering content when providing programs to broadcasting platforms and sought to exempt platforms airing such content from intellectual property rights provisions. It also proposed designating channels from PTS and other terrestrial TV networks as “must-carry” for the same platforms.
NCC chairperson Bonnie Peng (彭芸) said the NCC must clearly define the term “broadcasting platform” before it further considers the amendment.
The amendment would make it difficult for terrestrial TV networks to negotiate broadcasting rights with program suppliers and could potentially raise the costs of purchasing TV series abroad, she said.
KMT Legislator Yang Ren-fu (楊仁福) and Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Yeh Yi-jin (葉宜津) said they were concerned that the amendment could infringe on current regulations on intellectual property rights.
“Platform operators charge consumers to view content displayed on their platforms, so if they fail to pay royalties for aired content, they could be considered to be making illegal profits,” Yang said.
Peng said the age of free TV content was over, adding that terrestrial TV channels in the US generally negotiate deals with operators.
“The commission would be glad to see operators negotiating deals among themselves,” she said.
Aftershocks from a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck off Yilan County at 3:45pm yesterday could reach a magnitude of 5 to 5.5, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Seismological Center technical officer Chiu Chun-ta (邱俊達) told a news conference that the epicenter of the temblor was more than 100km from Taiwan. Although predicted to measure between magnitude 5 and 5.5, the aftershocks would reach an intensity of 1 on Taiwan’s 7-tier scale, which gauges the actual effect of an earthquake, he said. The earthquake lasted longer in Taipei because the city is in a basin, he said. The quake’s epicenter was about 128.9km east-southeast
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The New Taipei City Government today warned about the often-overlooked dangers of playing in water, and recommended safe swimming destinations to cool off from the summer heat. The following locations in the city as safe and fun for those looking to enjoy the water: Chienshuiwan (淺水灣), Baishawan (白沙灣), Jhongjiao Bay (中角灣), Fulong Beach Resort (福隆海水浴場) and Sansia District’s (三峽) Dabao River (大豹溪), New Taipei City Tourism and Travel Department Director-General Yang Tsung-min (楊宗珉) said. Outdoor bodies of water have variables outside of human control, such as changing currents, differing elevations and environmental hazards, all of which can lead to accidents, Yang said. Sudden
Tropical Storm Podul has formed over waters north-northeast of Guam and is expected to approach the seas southeast of Taiwan next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. The 11th Pacific storm of the year developed at 2am over waters about 2,660km east of Oluanpi (歐鑾鼻), Pingtung County — Taiwan's southernmost tip. It is projected to move westward and could have its most significant impact on Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday next week, the CWA said. The agency did not rule out the possibility of issuing a sea warning at that time. According to the CWA's latest update, Podul is drifting west-northwest
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