The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday denied four cable service operators’ applications to fill the vacant Channel 52 with CNN News or the English-language channel of France 24, citing that such channel lineup arrangements do not match the viewing habits of Taiwan’s cable service subscribers.
The Channel 52, which was previously occupied by CTi News (中天新聞台), has been vacant since the commission denied the news channel’s license renewal application on Nov.18 last year.
Taiwan Broadband Communications (TBC), which owns five cable services, and Dafeng TV, which owns three, applied to move CNN News to Channel 52. Shih-hsin Cable Television and Kuo-shen Cable Television — both based in Chiayi County — applied to move France 24 to fill the spot.
“The enforcement rules of Article 29 of the Satellite Broadcasting Act (有線廣播電視系) state that a channel block refers to a centralized arrangement of channels made by cable operators based on the types of programs aired on the channels and viewing habits of consumers,” Commission Vice Chairman and spokesman Wong Po-tsung (翁柏宗) said.
“Over the years, consumers have already developed the habit of switching to channels in the cable news block if they want to watch domestic news. After considering consumers’ viewing habits and other factors, the commissioners rejected the applications filed by TBC, Dafeng TV, Shih-hsin and Kuo-shen Cable Television,” he added.
Wong also said that the commissioners had consulted local government officials before reaching a consensus on the matter.
Aside from consumers’ interests, the commission also considered if the networks would facilitate competition in the industry, contribute to the diversity of media content and safeguard public interests, he added.
The commission has yet to receive a new application from Homeplus Digital, the nation’s largest multiple systems operator, after it on Jan. 29 retracted its proposal to move Global News from Channel 85 to Channel 52.
Chinese Television System’s (CTS) board of directors on Jan. 28 passed a motion allowing Homeplus to act as CTS’ agent and apply for CTS News and Info to be broadcast on Channel 52.
In a statement issued on Tuesday last week, CTS said that it has been negotiating with Homeplus over Channel 52 since Dec. 1 last year.
The partnership formed after NCC Chairman Chen Yaw-shyang (陳耀祥) on Nov. 18 told a news briefing that cable operators should “give CTS a chance” when considering options to fill the vacancy.
Local media reported that CTS agreed to pay Homeplus NT$18 million (US$634,026) annually to take over the channel, making it the only news channel that has to pay to stay in the cable news block.
At a media luncheon on Friday, Chen told reporters that the commission sees Global News’ low percentage of self-produced programs as an issue.
This story has been amended since it was first published.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
About 4.2 million tourist arrivals were recorded in the first half of this year, a 10 percent increase from the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. The growth continues to be consistent, with the fourth quarter of this year expected to be the peak in Taiwan, the agency said, adding that it plans to promote Taiwan overseas via partnerships and major events. From January to June, 9.14 million international departures were recorded from Taiwan, an 11 percent increase from the same period last year, with 3.3 million headed for Japan, 1.52 million for China and 832,962 to South Korea,
REWRITING HISTORY: China has been advocating a ‘correct’ interpretation of the victory over Japan that brings the CCP’s contributions to the forefront, an expert said An elderly Chinese war veteran’s shin still bears the mark of a bullet wound he sustained when fighting the Japanese as a teenager, a year before the end of World War II. Eighty years on, Li Jinshui’s scar remains as testimony to the bravery of Chinese troops in a conflict that killed millions of their people. However, the story behind China’s overthrow of the brutal Japanese occupation is deeply contested. Historians broadly agree that credit for victory lies primarily with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)-led Republic of China (ROC) Army. Its leader, Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石), fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a
RSS