The legislature's Transportation and Education and Culture committees yesterday jointly passed an initial review of four National Communications Commission (NCC) commissioners nominated by the Cabinet.
The four nominess are Su Herng (蘇蘅), Liu Chorng-jian (劉崇堅), Chang Shi-chung (張時中) and Wei Shyue-win (魏學文).
Su is the journalism chair of National Chengchi University. Chang and Wei are electrical engineering professors at National Taiwan University and National Chi Nan University respectively.
Liu, currently a NCC commissioner, was previously the economics chair at National Taipei University. He was renominated by the Cabinet last month as his term expires next month.
Su, Chang and Wei were appointed to replace NCC Chairwoman Bonnie Peng (彭芸), and commissioners Lee Ta-sung (李大嵩) and Hsieh Chin-nan (謝進男), who are scheduled to step down next month.
During the three-hour question-and-answer session, the nominees faced a host of questions ranging from the nation’s ranking in terms of broadband penetration rate among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries to media coverage on former public prosecutor general Chen Tsung-ming (陳聰明) and the lawsuits filed by Japanese porn film producers against a local telecoms carrier.
A majority of the lawmakers underlined the structural issues facing the commission. Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chu Fong-chi (朱鳳芝) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Yeh Yi-jin (葉宜津) said that while the NCC functions as an independent administrative agency like the Fair Trade Commission and Financial Supervisory Commission, the NCC chairperson is not appointed by the premier, but rather by a vote among the commissioners.
The fact that the NCC rules by consensus also means that its chairperson may have to defend a policy that he or she does not support, they said.
In response, all four nominees said they supported the proposed amendment to the Organic Act of the National Communications Commission (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法), which authorizes the premier to appoint the NCC chairperson.
Nearly all the legislators asked Su, who is widely viewed as Peng's potential successor, to come to the podium and answer questions.
Su said she did not rule out the likelihood of being appointed NCC chair, adding that: “I have considered every possible scenario when I accepted the nomination ... I will do my best to keep a harmonious relation with other commissioners and pursue administrative efficiency.”
The four nominees still have to face a final review and confirmation by the full legislature.
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