The National Communications Commission (NCC) said yesterday that it will soon stipulate a policy which aims to protect Taiwanese television dramas.
NCC spokesperson Chen Jeng-chang (陳正倉) said the NCC decided to do so after reviewing the license renewal application of ETTV’s drama channel (東森戲劇台).
The commission approved the channel’s application on Monday, provided it raise the percentage of Taiwanese dramas to at least 20 -percent of programming.
Should the channel fail to meet the conditions imposed on it, the NCC said it would annul the license.
“The channel had stated in its operational plan that Taiwanese TV dramas would account for 80 percent of its programming, and only 20 percent would be reserved for TV dramas purchased from overseas,” Chen said. “We found that up to 90 percent of its programming was for South Korean TV dramas, which contradicted the operational plan that the channel submitted to us.”
Should the channel fail to meet the request, Chen said the NCC can annul the license based on Article 123 of the Administrative Procedure Act (行政程序法).
Chen said the commission ruled to approve the channel’s application to renew its license after it promised that Taiwanese dramas will account for no less than 20 percent of its programming, which will officially take effect on April 1 next year. Chen said the types of Taiwanese TV dramas include those produced by the channel or those that the channel co-produced with other channels. They also include those that have never been aired before, he said.
“And when calculating the percentage, we will exclude the reruns,” Chen said. “They [the channel] must diversify the sources of the programs and gradually reduce the percentage of South Korean TV dramas. All records concerning the broadcasting and production of the programs, as well as the percentage of programs purchased from other countries, must be submitted to the NCC for review.”
Chen said the ruling for ETTV will be used as basis for reviewing the license renewals of other drama channels and gauging their performances in the biennial evaluations.
“The Taipei Film and Drama Business Union and legislators have been urging the NCC to raise the percentage of local TV dramas,” Chen said. “We are not banning the broadcasts of Korean drama. We are simply responding to requests from the public for more Taiwanese dramas.”
Though ETTV’s drama channel has obtained its new license, Chen said the NCC would hold another session to discuss whether ETTV should be punished for contradicting its operational plan submission.
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