Pan-blue camp supporters yesterday lodged a protest at the National Communications Commission (NCC) against what they say is a possible move by the government to shut down CTi News, adding that politics should not interfere with freedom of the press.
Protesters included representatives from the New Party, the Blue Sky Action Alliance, the 333 Political Party Alliance and other pan-blue groups.
“We stand here today because CTi News is one of the few media outlets in Taiwan that is still willing to give groups supporting unification with China a voice. If the news channel is gone, there would only be one voice in the nation,” New Party Chairman Wu Cherng-dean (吳成典) told reporters.
Photo: CNA
“Freedom of the press in a democratic country cannot be compromised. The government can use the law to handle any technical infraction committed by the news channel, but it cannot use its political judgement to determine if the channel should or should not be closed. That decision should be made by the market,” he added.
National Civil Servant Association honorary chairman Harry Lee (李來希) said that former NCC chairwoman Nicole Chan (詹婷怡) resigned after being scolded by Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) at a Cabinet meeting for the commission’s failure to curb the spread of misinformation.
This shows that the NCC is no longer an independent agency, Lee said.
NCC Vice Chairman Wong Po-tsung (翁柏宗) said the commission respects comments from the public.
“The commission is an independent collegial administrative organization and we hope that the public would leave us room to handle CTi News' license renewal application independently,” he said.
Meanwhile, pro-Taiwan activist groups called on NCC members to conduct a rigorous review and not act leniently against CTi News when having verified serious breaches and illegal conduct by the channel.
In light of the findings, the channel’s operating license must be withdrawn, in accordance with the law, they said.
Taiwan Society deputy chairman Chang Yeh-shen (張葉森) said CTi News executives are hiding behind freedom of speech and press freedom.
“Such freedoms in a democracy cannot be expanded to be boundless. Media outlets must have social responsibility, as they use public airwaves, and must not distort facts or fabricate news reports,” Chang said.
“The real issue is about national security, as CTi News is colluding with China to subvert Taiwan’s democracy through its pro-China agenda,” Chang added.
Northern Taiwan Society chairman Li Chuan-hsin (李川信) said that the Mainland Affairs Council last year verified that Beijing had paid Taiwanese tycoon Tsai Eng-meng (蔡衍明) and his Want Want China Times Group NT$15.26 billion (US$528.17 million at the current exchange rate) in subsidies from 2007 to 2018, which Tsai confirmed in interviews.
Tsai’s conglomerate owns CTi News, the China Times newspaper, the Chinatimes.com news site and other media outlets in Taiwan, Li said.
“The main focus must be on the Chinese money behind CTi News, which carries out Beijing’s propaganda and disinformation campaigns,” he added.
“China is still at war against us, as Beijing has been preparing for a military attack to invade and take over Taiwan, and to subjugate Taiwan’s democracy under its communist rule,” Li said.
“So how can Taiwan continue to permit CTi News to operate? It is backed by money from an enemy state to brainwash Taiwanese with its political propaganda and fake news,” he said.
“It is clear that Tsai, with his media outlets, is promoting the ‘one country, two systems’ concept for China to annex Taiwan. So the NCC cannot go soft this time and must make stringent reviews on the many breaches by CTi News, which should be considered as a Chinese media outlet,” he added.
In other news, the NCC said that Fox Sports must complete all required administrative procedures before cable operators can remove the three sports channels in the network from their channel lineups.
The sports network yesterday announced that it would cease its operations in Taiwan on Jan. 1.
Commission specialist Huang Jui-ti (黃睿迪) said that Fox must first file an application to cease operations in Taiwan based on the Satellite Broadcasting Act (衛星廣播電視法).
Cable operators carrying the channels must also apply for a change in their channel lineups and make a public announcement by running a news ticker about it for at least five days before the channels are taken off the air, Huang said.
Consumers would be entitled to a refund if they do not wish to subscribe to a cable service without Fox Sports channels, the commission said, adding that cable operators must not charge subscribers for canceling their service contracts.
STATS: Taiwan’s average life expectancy of 80.77 years was lower than that of Japan, Singapore and South Korea, but higher than in China, Malaysia and Indonesia Taiwan’s average life expectancy last year increased to 80.77 years, but was still not back to its pre-COVID-19 pandemic peak of 81.32 years in 2020, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. The average life expectancy last year increased the 0.54 years from 2023, the ministry said in a statement. For men and women, the average life expectancy last year was 77.42 years and 84.30 years respectively, up 0.48 years and 0.56 years from the previous year. Taiwan’s average life expectancy peaked at 81.32 years in 2020, as the nation was relatively unaffected by the pandemic that year. The metric
The inspection equipment and data transmission system for new robotic dogs that Taipei is planning to use for sidewalk patrols were developed by a Taiwanese company, the city’s New Construction Office said today, dismissing concerns that the China-made robots could pose a security risk. The city is bringing in smart robotic dogs to help with sidewalk inspections, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said on Facebook. Equipped with a panoramic surveillance system, the robots would be able to automatically flag problems and easily navigate narrow sidewalks, making inspections faster and more accurate, Lee said. By collecting more accurate data, they would help Taipei
TAKING STOCK: The USMC is rebuilding a once-abandoned airfield in Palau to support large-scale ground operations as China’s missile range grows, Naval News reported The US Marine Corps (USMC) is considering new sites for stockpiling equipment in the West Pacific to harden military supply chains and enhance mobility across the Indo-Pacific region, US-based Naval News reported on Saturday. The proposed sites in Palau — one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — and Australia would enable a “rapid standup of stored equipment within a year” of the program’s approval, the report said, citing documents published by the USMC last month. In Palau, the service is rebuilding a formerly abandoned World War II-era airfield and establishing ancillary structures to support large-scale ground operations “as China’s missile range and magazine
Passengers on Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) will be required to use headphones and make phone calls in gangways under new “quiet travel” rules starting Sept. 22. THSR Chairman Shih Che (史哲) told media that THSR will run a three-month promotional campaign to ensure widespread adoption of the new rules. Those repeatedly ignoring the guidance face the potential termination of their transport contract, which can result in them getting escorted off the train, according to THSR. Shih shared his hope to cultivate an environment conducive to rest and reading for the train’s passengers, stating that these changes aim to “promote self-discipline” among passengers