TTV News could be broadcasting on channel 52 soon, with a review of applications from 15 cable operators to be completed by the end of this month, National Communications Commission (NCC) Chairman Chen Yaw-shyang (陳耀祥) said yesterday.
The commission on March 31 approved applications from Homeplus Digital and three other cable operators to broadcast CTS News and Info on channel 52.
CTS News and Info has since April 19 been available to 1.25 million subscribers over 15 cable systems across Taiwan, with 12 systems owned by Homeplus Digital and the other three operators.
Collectively, they account for about 25 percent of the cable TV market.
However, the commission has yet to rule on proposals from 15 other cable operators that TTV News be broadcast on channel 52.
At a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hung Mong-kai (洪孟楷), and Democratic Progressive Party legislators Chen Ming-wen (陳明文) and Chen Ou-po (陳歐珀) asked why the commission quickly approved the applications from Homeplus and the other three operators after receiving their documents on Feb. 21, but did not show the same efficiency in its review of the applications from the other 15 firms, which submitted their applications at about the same time.
Staff completed a preliminary review of the applications and the commission has also received input from local government officials about the proposal to fill channel 52, Chen Yaw-shyang said.
“We will start reviewing the proposal to fill channel 52 with TTV News in the next few weeks, which should be completed by the end of this month,” he said.
After March 31, the commission received proposals from other cable operators to have either CTS News and Info or TTV News air on channel 52, the commission said.
Last month, the commission said that it received applications from seven other cable operators to have CTS News and Info occupy channel 52, six from cable systems run by Taiwan Optical Platform and one from another cable operator.
Among the nation’s 64 cable operators, 27 have yet to file an application to fill the vacant channel 52, including 13 run by multiple-system operator Kbro Inc.
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