Homeplus Digital Co yesterday told the National Communications Commission (NCC) that its CTS News and Info channel is qualified to be broadcast on Channel 52, as it has a well-rounded fact-verification mechanism and does not produce news based on online videos or surveillance footage as frequently done by other cable news channels.
The commission on Nov. 18 last year unanimously rejected CTi News’ license renewal application, which previously broadcast its programs on Channel 52. Cable operators nationwide have left the channel vacant since Dec. 12, when CTi News’ broadcast license expired.
The commission on Feb. 8 received an application from Homeplus to fill the vacant spot with CTS News and Info channel, which is not included in the channel lineup in any of the 12 cable systems it owns.
Homeplus executive director Jie Chao-hua (揭朝華), Public Television Service (PTS) acting general manager Hsu Chiu-hua (徐秋華) and CTS general manager Leon Chuang (莊豐嘉) were invited to the NCC to answer commissioners’ questions yesterday, when the agency began reviewing the application.
NCC Deputy Chairman and spokesman Wong Po-tsung (翁柏宗) said that commissioners asked Homeplus why it proposed to fill the vacant spot with CTS News and Info.
“They [Homeplus] told us that journalists in the news channel do not produce news based on whatever they watch online or on surveillance or dashboard cameras, and the channel has a system to verify the authenticity of the information before airing it,” Wong said.
Homeplus also told NCC commissioners that CTS’ entry into the cable news block — channels 49 to 58 — would elevate overall cable news quality and lead to healthy competition among news channels, he added.
CTS pledged to produce quality news by speaking for disadvantaged people and upholding the principles of truthfulness, objectivity and diversity, Wong said.
Commissioners have also exchanged views with the management of PTS and CTS on how the application might affect competition in the market, consumers, content diversity and other items of public interest, he said.
The commission consulted local government officials prior to yesterday’s review, Wong said.
The Taipei City Government said that it has doubts about CTS’ qualifications to broadcast on Channel 52, particularly regarding its financial status and percentage of programs produced by the channel itself, he said.
The commission would resume its review after CTS submits materials required by the commissioners, Wong said.
Meanwhile, nine cable operators have applied to have Taiwan Television fill Channel 52. The commission has yet to review their applications.
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