The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday gave Broadcasting Corp of China (BCC) a passing grade for its performance from 2016 to 2019, but ordered it to submit within three months a plan that would make a clear distinction between programs and commercials.
The nation’s largest radio station was penalized five times during the three-year period for promoting specific products in its programs, accumulating NT$600,000 (US$21,608) in fines, NCC senior specialist Chen Shu-ming (陳書銘) said.
The company must also reinforce educational training for workers and ensure that it has a sound financial management plan, the commission said.
Photo: Yang Chin-chieh, Taipei Times
The Ill-gotten Party Assets Settlement Committee on Sept. 24, 2019, ruled that BCC was an affiliate of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), ordering it to return 109,627m2 of land to the government and pay NT$7.731 billion in compensation.
BCC has filed for an injunction with the Taipei High Administrative Court.
“However, if the court rules in favor of the committee, we would assist the committee in making sure that those properties are returned to the government,” said NCC Vice Chairman Wong Po-tsung (翁柏宗), who is also the commission’s spokesman.
The commission would offer administrative guidance to BCC if it should change its business plan in accordance with the court’s ruling, Wong said.
All the provisional clauses that came with the NCC’s evaluation this time would be scrutinized again when it evaluates the station’s performance from last year to next year, he said.
The radio station was also required to submit in August a financial statement in which its broadcast and non-broadcast revenue are listed in separate categories, Wong said.
The commission would consult the committee when it reviews BCC’s financial statement, Wong added.
The review of BCC’s performance from 2016 to 2019 took about one year to complete, as the station had repeatedly expressed problems in presenting these two main revenue streams as separate categories, the commission said.
The commission also addressed questions about BCC chairman Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康) rejoining the KMT and being invited by KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) to serve as a member of the party’s Central Advisory Committee.
As Jaw did not accept the position that was offered to him, BCC did not breach regulations in this regard, Chen said.
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