Formosa TV (FTV) shareholders yesterday selected Wang Ming-yu (王明玉) to replace Kuo Bei-hong (郭倍宏) as the network’s new chairwoman.
The network held an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口) after its board of directors on March 14 voted to dismiss Kuo.
During the board meeting, Kuo had reportedly failed to clearly explain the whereabouts of NT$500 million (US$16.21 million) that he and other members of the board had borrowed from banks under the network’s name.
Photo: Chen Yi-kuan, Taipei Times
He was also accused of supporting the production of a series of unpopular political talk shows, which he allegedly used to promote his political agenda, rather than to generate profits.
Kuo has since held several news conferences, saying that he had returned the money to the network’s account and would resign from his position.
Yesterday’s meeting selected 21 board directors, from which seven managing directors were chosen.
Wang, who is among the new managing directors, was elected chairwoman, while Formosa Investment Co chairman Huang Ming-chan (黃明展) was elected vice chairman.
Formosa Investment is FTV’s largest shareholder.
Former FTV chairman Tien Tsai-ting (田再庭), who attended the meeting as a honorary director, said that yesterday’s meeting was illegal.
“Wang should remember that she was not supposed to betray FTV’s founding purpose. Before the meeting, I chose to say nothing. However, seeing that shareholders could not voice their dissent during the meeting made me think that Kuo was right all along,” he said.
“Wang and Formosa Investment have planned for this to happen, and it took them only three minutes to depose Kuo. It was really uncivilized of them to monopolize the microphone during the meeting,” Tien said.
Based on the shareholders’ decision, Wang’ tenure is to end on April 1, 2022.
The shareholders also voted to cancel an annual shareholders’ meeting on May 9 that had been scheduled by the previous board.
Wang told reporters that the extraordinary meeting was held legally and followed due procedures.
Asked who the company’s new president would be, Wang said that the person must be a professional who understands the television industry.
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
NUMBERS IMBALANCE: More than 4 million Taiwanese have visited China this year, while only about half a million Chinese have visited here Beijing has yet to respond to Taiwan’s requests for negotiation over matters related to the recovery of cross-strait tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. Taiwan’s tourism authority issued the statement after Chinese-language daily the China Times reported yesterday that the government’s policy of banning group tours to China does not stop Taiwanese from visiting the country. As of October, more than 4.2 million had traveled to China this year, exceeding last year. Beijing estimated the number of Taiwanese tourists in China could reach 4.5 million this year. By contrast, only 500,000 Chinese tourists are expected in Taiwan, the report said. The report
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency yesterday launched a gift box to market honey “certified by a Formosan black bear” in appreciation of a beekeeper’s amicable interaction with a honey-thieving bear. Beekeeper Chih Ming-chen (池明鎮) in January inspected his bee farm in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪) and found that more than 20 beehives had been destroyed and many hives were eaten, with bear droppings and paw prints near the destroyed hives, the agency said. Chih returned to the farm to move the remaining beehives away that evening when he encountered a Formosan black bear only 20m away, the agency said. The bear
Chinese embassy staffers attempted to interrupt an award ceremony of an international tea competition in France when the organizer introduced Taiwan and displayed the Republic of China flag, a Taiwanese tea farmer said in an interview published today. Hsieh Chung-lin (謝忠霖), chief executive of Juxin Tea Factory from Taichung's Lishan (梨山) area, on Dec. 2 attended the Teas of the World International Contest held at the Peruvian embassy in Paris. Hsieh was awarded a special prize for his Huagang Snow Source Tea by the nonprofit Agency for the Valorization of Agricultural Products (AVPA). During the ceremony, two Chinese embassy staffers in attendance