The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday again rejected Golden TV’s application to establish a military channel on the grounds that a majority of the network’s programs are reruns, and its management lacks the funding and personnel to produce quality programming.
After its first application to establish a military channel was denied on Feb. 24 last year, Golden TV applied again on Dec. 30 last year.
“The network proposed to broadcast news and commentary related to national defense and foreign affairs on the military channel, and such content could greatly affect the morale of society and the military,” NCC Deputy Chairman and spokesperson Wong Po-tsung (翁柏宗) said.
“When we reviewed its first application, we found that the network would have difficulty following through on the channel’s business plan due to its lack of personnel and expertise in producing military programs,” Wong said.
When reviewing Golden’s second application, the NCC asked its management to answer commissioners’ questions and provide additional materials, he said.
“We found that the average rerun rate on the network’s existing 14 channels has gradually risen in the past three years. Last year, the average rerun rate even reached 80 percent,” Wong said.
“The sample tapes the network submitted were of low quality. Given the network’s funding and personnel at the moment, we doubt the channel could produce 50 percent of its own programming as stated in its business plan,” he said.
Separately, the commission ruled that it would continue reviewing Mirror News’ application to change its management and registered capital after hearing testimony from the channel’s former chairman Chen Jian-ping (陳建平).
Although Mirror News obtained a broadcasting license in January following a 26-month review, the channel remains plagued with controversies over management changes in the past nine months.
The commission invited Chen to testify as a stakeholder in the case, Wong said.
“Chen told us that he was rashly and ruthlessly replaced at a board meeting on March 4 this year, when a board member proposed a motion to remove him,” Wong said, adding that Chen has filed a lawsuit against Mirror Media founder Pei Wei (裴偉) for breach of trust and fraud.
Chen told commissioners that he has no intention of returning to his previous position at Mirror News and is still considering whether to file lawsuits against other board members, Wong said.
“We have exchanged views with Chen to understand whether Mirror News’ shareholders have intervened in the operation of the news department. We will take into account what Chen told us when examining the application,” Wong said.
Chunghwa Telecom chairman David Cheng (鄭優) in April told the commission that the channel planned to raise its registered capital to NT$4 billion.
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