CTi TV Inc’s hopes of regaining its footing in the cable news market were dashed yesterday after the National Communications Commission (NCC) rejected its plan to broadcast news on its variety channel.
The network on Jan. 29 filed an application to change CTi Variety’s business plan after the commission on Nov. 18 last year rejected CTi News’ application to renew its license, which expired in December.
At the same meeting in November, NCC commissioners approved CTi Variety’s license renewal on the condition that 75 percent of its programs must be made in Taiwan.
The network’s proposed business plan changes to the variety channel’s programming include adding one hour of news broadcasts in the morning, at midday and in the evening, as well as a one-hour political talk show.
However, the commission rejected the proposal on the grounds that a variety channel should primarily produce and broadcast variety shows and TV dramas.
“Last year, we approved CTi Variety’s license renewal application on the condition that it raise the percentage of programs made in Taiwan and increase its funding for the production of variety shows and TV dramas. The [variety] channel’s business plan should be different from that of news and entertainment channels,” NCC Deputy Chairman and spokesman Wong Po-tsung (翁柏宗) said.
“The proposed changes in CTi Variety’s business plan are incongruent with the conditions we set for its license renewal,” he said.
Wong added that CTi News’ license renewal application was rejected because its news department did not operate independently, with its largest shareholder — San Want Holding Ltd — constantly meddling in the newsroom.
“Based on the materials we reviewed, we believe that the variety channel’s internal control mechanism would not be able to shield the news team from undue interference from its largest shareholder,” he said.
In other news, the NCC also rejected Da Da Digital’s proposed acquisition of Taiwan Broadband Communications (TBC), saying that its largest shareholder should focus on reducing the debt ratios of five cable systems under TBC before reselling them.
Da Da Digital chairman Dai Yung-hui (戴永輝) in February last year acquired TBC by securing 65 percent of the shares of Asian Pay Television Trust — which owns TBC — from the trust’s only shareholder, Dynami Vision Pte cofounder Lu Fang-ming (呂芳銘).
The transaction was approved by the Fair Trade Commission on Nov. 4 last year and was awaiting final approval by the NCC.
Since Dynami secured ownership of TBC in 2017, the shareholding structure of the multiple-system operator has undergone several changes, the commission said.
Although Dynami promised to reduce debts incurred by five cable systems under TBC when it secured approval for the ownership change in 2017, a comparison of the five cable systems’ debt ratios last year with those published in 2017 shows little improvement, the NCC said, adding that in some cases, the debt ratios spiked rather than dropped.
“The current owner is seeking to transfer ownership [of TBC] before the cable systems have made any financial improvement. This shows that it views the cable systems only as objects for short-term sales and pays no heed to their long-term development. Approving such a transaction would harm the cable service industry,” the commission said.
Lu should aim to lower the cable systems’ debt ratios below 60 percent in three years, Wong said, citing a recent case adjudicated by the commission as a point of reference.
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, returned to Taiwan last night after being deported from the US. She is to stand trial in Taiwan for charges involving embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said it took her into custody at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and would first question her before transferring her to the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. She was arrested upon disembarking a flight from San Francisco that landed shortly before 7pm. Liou absconded to the US in 2019 after jumping bail
Shih Hsin University President Chen Ching-he (陳清河) yesterday issued a public apology for comments made in his commencement speech last week, stating that he has asked the school to suspend his duties and halt his wages for two months as a show of contrition. At the commencement ceremony on May 30, Chen said, “If you don’t manage your time well, or your own emotions, or your health, then I am telling every one of you — put a quick end to ‘you,’ because the world has no need for ‘you.’” The comments have sparked significant controversy online, and Chen through an open
RSS