A new policy for cable television would use three-digit numbers for channels and divide channels into eight blocks, the National Communications Commission (NCC) said yesterday.
Cable system operators are encouraged to conduct trials, it added.
The two-digit channel numbers has created congestion in certain blocks of channels, as well as disputes between channels and operators. The two-digit system also hindered new channels from entering the market.
Under the new policy, channel designations beginning with the number “1” would be “must carry” or family channels; the number “3” would be variety show channels; numbers “5,” “6” and “7” would be news, movies and sports channels respectively; the number “8” would be drama or religious channels; and the number “9” would be music or adult channels. Home shopping channels would be placed between the blocks.
The NCC proposed two solutions for helping viewers adapt to the new numbering system: The two cable numbering systems could coexist for two to three years so that people wanting to watch TVBS on Channel 56 would press either “56” or “556,” or people could watch TVBS on Channel 556 by pressing “56.”
NCC Deputy Chairman and spokesman Wong Po-tsung (翁柏宗) said that commissioners adopted the second solution after listening to communications experts and industry representatives at six meetings and a June 2 public hearing.
“As per suggestions from experts, we will encourage cable system operators to begin offering services using the three-digit channel numbering system in a designated area as a trial. This would enable them to gauge the feasibility of the technology, as well as receive feedback from subscribers,” he said.
Operators would be offered incentives to run a trial, Wong said.
“We are mulling removing the cap on service fees by amending the Fee-Charging Standards for Cable Radio and Television System Operators (有線廣播電視系統經營者收費標準),” he said.
“Operators would be given more flexibility in arranging channel lineups with new rules governing planning and channel changes. Meanwhile, a more reasonable division of profits between channel operators and cable system operators would be needed,” he said.
The NCC is considering offering operators subsidies to change subscribers’ set-top boxes, Wong said.
NCC officials estimated it would take at least six months to get the supporting measures in place, saying that operators might be able to start trials next year.
The installation of new set-top boxes is estimated to total up to NT$3 billion (US$100.7 million), while the NCC would only be able to subsidize up to 49 percent of the cost, officials said.
As the Cable Radio and Television Development Fund receives about NT$600 million per year, the commission would secure additional funding.
“Based on our experience of digitizing cable television, it will take three to five years for the entire nation to migrate to the new channel numbering system,” Wong said.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) departed for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark. Tsai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday night, but did not speak to reporters before departing. Tsai wrote on social media later that the purpose of the trip was to reaffirm the commitment of Taiwanese to working with democratic allies to promote regional security and stability, upholding freedom and democracy, and defending their homeland. She also expressed hope that through joint efforts, Taiwan and Europe would continue to be partners building up economic resilience on the global stage. The former president was to first
Taiwan will now have four additional national holidays after the Legislative Yuan passed an amendment today, which also made Labor Day a national holiday for all sectors. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) used their majority in the Legislative Yuan to pass the amendment to the Act on Implementing Memorial Days and State Holidays (紀念日及節日實施辦法), which the parties jointly proposed, in its third and final reading today. The legislature passed the bill to amend the act, which is currently enforced administratively, raising it to the legal level. The new legislation recognizes Confucius’ birthday on Sept. 28, the
MORE NEEDED: Recall drives against legislators in Miaoli’s two districts and Hsinchu’s second district were still a few thousand signatures short of the second-stage threshold Campaigners aiming to recall Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators yesterday said they expect success in 30 out of 35 districts where drives have passed the second-stage threshold, which would mark a record number of recall votes held at once. Hsinchu County recall campaigners yesterday announced that they reached the second-stage threshold in the recall effort against Legislator Lin Szu-ming (林思銘). A total of 26,414 signatures have been gathered over the past two months, surpassing the 10 percent threshold of 23,287 in Hsinchu County’s second electoral district, chief campaigner Hsieh Ting-ting (謝婷婷) said. “Our target is to gather an additional 1,500 signatures to reach
RSS