The legislature’s Transportation Committee yesterday passed a resolution authorizing it to form an ad hoc panel to review documents related to Mirror News’ acquisition of an operational license from the National Communications Commission (NCC).
The resolution, proposed by the Taiwan People’s Party caucus, narrowly passed in a six-to-five vote with support from Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators. Committee chairman KMT Legislator Chen Hsueh-sheng (陳雪生) cast the tiebreaking vote.
The resolution was proposed amid concerns over how the news channel secured its license in January 2022.
Photo: Wu Liang-yi, Taipei Times
Mirror Media founder Pei Wei (裴偉) was accused of receiving a monthly consulting fee of NT$1.5 million (US$47,749) from the network even after he resigned as chairman and pledged not to interfere in the operations of the news channel.
Although Mirror News had stated in its business plan that the channel would neither produce nor broadcast political talk shows, it launched a political talk show in October last year ahead of the presidential and legislative elections in January.
The NCC has been criticized for helping Mirror News secure a license and not censuring the network when it failed to meet the commission’s conditions.
The resolution states that NCC Chairman Chen Yaw-shyang (陳耀祥) should have complied with legislative oversight in a professional and responsible manner.
Instead, he circumvented legislative questions on how Mirror News obtained the license with the tacit cooperation of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, it said.
“The NCC knew all along that the network contravened regulations, but it continued to delay turning over evidence, saying that ‘the case is under investigation’ or ‘the channel has been asked to rectify the situation.’ It showed contempt for the legislature and disrespect for the rule of the law... An ad hoc team should be formed to review relevant documents,” it said.
In response, Chen said that the NCC briefed lawmakers at the committee five times last year on the procedures the commission followed in handling the license application.
An ad hoc panel could cause the legislative branch to interfere in the operations of the executive branch, he added.
In a statement, the NCC called the committee’s resolution on a case it already ruled on “regrettable.”
“We have exhausted all administrative resources to investigate all major issues of concern, including Mirror News’ financial soundness, staffing situation, and frequent changes of shareholders and management,” the NCC said, adding that it had consulted with the Financial Supervisory Commission, Investment Commission, Ministry of Justice, Mainland Affairs Council, National Security Bureau and other agencies in the review process.
It used the highest standards and intensity to scrutinize cases related to Mirror News compared with similar cases, it said, adding that it had cooperated with prosecutors in investigating the network.
“Controversies over the network’s ownership changes are disputes of private rights and should be addressed through legal proceedings, rather than political intervention and by trying to influence public opinion. We will continue monitoring Mirror News to ensure it meets the conditions it agreed to in order to obtain the news channel license,” the commission said.
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
UNKNOWN TRAJECTORY: The storm could move in four possible directions, with the fourth option considered the most threatening to Taiwan, meteorologist Lin De-en said A soon-to-be-formed tropical storm east of the Philippines could begin affecting Taiwan on Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The storm, to be named Fung-wong (鳳凰), is forecast to approach Taiwan on Tuesday next week and could begin affecting the weather in Taiwan on Wednesday, CWA forecaster Huang En-hung (黃恩鴻) said, adding that its impact might be amplified by the combined effect with the northeast monsoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the system’s center was 2,800km southeast of Oluanbi (鵝鑾鼻). It was moving northwest at 18kph. Meteorologist Lin De-en (林得恩) on Facebook yesterday wrote that the would-be storm is surrounded by
RSS