The National Communications Commission (NCC) should not only investigate whether Broadcasting Corp of China (BCC) contravened the broadcast regulations banning political parties, the government or the military from owning, managing or investing in media, but should also investigate whether Homeplus Digital contradicted its business plan by selling shares to shareholders affiliated with SET Network, the New Power Party (NPP) caucus said yesterday.
The operation of the nation’s largest private radio station came under scrutiny after its chairman Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康), also a political commentator, became the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) vice presidential candidate last week. Jaw also hosted the TV show Shaw Kong War Room (少康戰情室) and other political shows on BCC.
Jaw, who was widely perceived as a pro-KMT commentator, had his KMT membership reinstated in 2021, while SET was mostly known for its pro-Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) slant.
Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times
The broadcast media regulator last week said it would ask TVBS and BCC to explain what they would do with programs hosted by Jaw to avoid contravening the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法) after Jaw’s official registration as the KMT vice presidential candidate last week.
Jaw would be asked to dispose of his shares in BCC if he is elected in January next year, the NCC said.
“After Mr. Jaw registered as the KMT vice presidential candidate, the NCC quickly said it would investigate whether BCC contravened the Radio and Television Act (廣播電視法) banning political parties, the government or the military from investing in and managing media, as if it had finally woken up from hibernation,” NPP Legislator Chiu Hsien-chih (邱顯智) said.
By contrast, NCC made hardly any progress in the Homeplus Digital case, as if it would always bend its rules whenever the DPP is involved, Chiu said.
“The NCC must ask Homeplus Digital to strictly adhere to the conditions it set when it granted the approval for the acquisition of the multiple system operator by Y.L. Lin Hung Tai Charitable Trust (宏泰公益信託) in 2018. SET must also be given a specific deadline by which it must dispose of shares it owns in Homeplus, or the administrative ruling handed down five years ago should be revoked,” Chiu said.
NPP Legislator Chen Jiau-hua (陳椒華) said Y.L. Lin Hung Tai Charitable Trust should be asked to fulfill the pledges it made to secure the NCC’s approval.
“We have on multiple occasions turned over evidence of the trust fund’s failure to adhere to its pledges to the NCC, but the commission has yet to launch an investigation into the trust fund’s questionable behaviors,” Chen said. “Since the NCC finally came to its senses after Mr. Jaw became the KMT vice presidential candidate, it might as well look into Homeplus Digital and other controversial cases. Otherwise, the so-called ‘media reform’ is nothing but a joke,” Chen said, adding that the NPP has proposed an amendment to the Trust Act (信託法).
Independent journalist Yao Hui-chen (姚惠珍) said that all presidential candidates and political parties should endorse an amendment to the Trust Law to prevent private businesses from making investments under the guise of charities, a loophole that conglomerates have exploited to save on business taxes.
“Taiwanese media are influenced by business conglomerates and political parties. I want to ask media experts who protested against pro-China Want Want Group’s acquisition of China Times Media Group if they have since abandoned their ideals once they became NCC commissioners. Why do they not use the same standards to scrutinize cases involving SET and other pro-DPP media?” Yao said.
The NCC has allowed SET to invest in Homeplus Digital for five years and is now trying to stall deliberation over the case until the presidential election is over, she said.
NPP Legislator Claire Wang (王婉諭) said Jaw should resign as BCC Chairman and quit hosting political shows.
“The NCC should investigate both BCC and Homeplus Digital and not compromise the independence and integrity of the agency,” Wang said.
In a statement, the NCC denied it has used different standards to investigate cases depending on the political agenda of the news media.
“We have asked Hung Shun Investment, which owns Homeplus, to come and answer questions from NCC commissioners four times, while SET and its affiliates have twice come to the commission and offered explanations. SET promised to submit plans to rectify the situation,” the NCC said.
“We are scheduled to brief the progress of the investigations into the Homeplus case at the legislature’s Transportation Committee this week. NCC commissioners would hand down a ruling once the investigation is complete,” it added.
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