The National Communications Commission yesterday announced that it would soon change the definition of first-time broadcast movies or programs to lower the rerun rate on the nation’s cable TV channels.
The commission made the announcement after the Consumers’ Foundation on Tuesday said that cable TV channels generally have an exceedingly high rerun rate, which at some reaches 50 percent.
The commission has approved an amendment to the regulations governing the establishment, evaluation and license renewal of satellite broadcasting businesses, as well as the definition of first-time broadcast programs, commission spokesman Wong Po-tsung (翁柏宗) said.
When a movie is broadcast on a cable or multimedia-on-demand (MOD) system for the first time, it would be considered a new movie for that platform, it said.
First-time broadcast programs refer to those that a channel airs for the first time, the commission added.
Prior to the amendment, a cable TV channel could meet the criteria even if it broadcasts a movie or a program that has been aired by other channels more than once, as long it has never broadcast the movie or the program itself.
However, the amendment would change the definition of first-time broadcast movies or programs to those aired within five years after they first appeared on a cable or MOD system.
A channel would be considered to be rerunning a movie or a program if it has been more than five years since it first aired, according to the amendment.
For example, if The Bohemian Rhapsody is broadcast by a cable TV channel this year, other channels would not be considered to be rerunning the movie if they air it before 2023.
The amendment raised concerns that it could negatively affect movie channels, as they have relatively limited options compared with regular channels.
However, Wong said that channels that only broadcast classic movies or documentaries would not be affected by the change.
As the proposal is likely to affect some channels’ license renewal chances, the commission would hear opinions from channel operators for the next two months, which is the legally required period before any regulatory change can take effect, it said.
The passing grade of channel evaluation would be raised from 60 points out of 100 to 70 points, Wong said.
LOUD AND PROUD Taiwan might have taken a drubbing against Australia and Japan, but you might not know it from the enthusiasm and numbers of the fans Taiwan might not be expected to win the World Baseball Classic (WBC) but their fans are making their presence felt in Tokyo, with tens of thousands decked out in the team’s blue, blowing horns and singing songs. Taiwanese fans have packed out the Tokyo Dome for all three of their games so far and even threatened to drown out home team supporters when their team played Japan on Friday. They blew trumpets, chanted for their favorite players and had their own cheerleading squad who dance on a stage during the game. The team struggled to match that exuberance on the field, with
UPDATED TEST: The new rules aim to assess drivers’ awareness of risky behaviors and how they respond under certain circumstances, the Highway Bureau said Driver’s license applicants who fail to yield to pedestrians at intersections or to check blind spots, or omit pointing-and-calling procedures would fail the driving test, the Highway Bureau said yesterday. The change is set to be implemented at the end of the month, and is part of the bureau’s reform of the driving portion of the test, which has been criticized for failing to assess whether drivers can operate vehicles safely. Sedan drivers would be tested regarding yielding to pedestrians and turning their heads to check blind spots, while drivers of large vehicles would be tested on their familiarity with pointing-and-calling
Whether Japan would help defend Taiwan in case of a cross-strait conflict would depend on the US and the extent to which Japan would be allowed to act under the US-Japan Security Treaty, former Japanese minister of defense Satoshi Morimoto said. As China has not given up on the idea of invading Taiwan by force, to what extent Japan could support US military action would hinge on Washington’s intention and its negotiation with Tokyo, Morimoto said in an interview with the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) yesterday. There has to be sufficient mutual recognition of how Japan could provide
A Taiwanese man apologized on Friday after saying in a social media post that he worked with Australia to provide scouting reports on Taiwan’s team, enabling Australia’s victory in this year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC), saying it was a joke and that he did not hold any position with foreign teams or Taiwan’s sports training center. Chen Po-hao (陳柏豪) drew the rage of many Taiwan baseball fans when he posted online on Thursday night, claiming credit for Australia’s 3-0 win over Taiwan in the opening game for Pool C, saying he worked as a physical therapist with the national team and
RSS