Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) lawmakers yesterday vowed to work together to oppose the nominees for new National Communications Commission (NCC) members after a media tycoon was said to have intervened in the nominating process.
Chinese-language media reported that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government originally tapped Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (TIER) division director Liu Po-li (劉柏立) to chair the nation’s broadcast media and telecoms regulator. The nomination was allegedly canceled because of the intervention of a Taiwanese media tycoon, although the media reports did not identify who that person was.
“Despite extensive media coverage on the intervention from the media tycoon, the Presidential Office, Executive Yuan and the DPP have yet to retort, deny or comment on any of the allegations,” KMT caucus secretary-general Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷) said. “Is the DPP tacitly confirming these allegations, and letting speculations run wild in the news media while testing the public reaction and controlling the narrative on this matter?”
Photo: Yang Mien-chieh, Taipei Times
Hung said the new NCC commissioners should be nominated by premier-designate Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) after he takes office on May 20, rather than by Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁), with the nominees being approved by the Legislative Yuan later.
Liu was said to replace NCC Chairman Chen Yaw-shyang (陳耀祥), whose term expires in July.
Meanwhile, National Taiwan Normal University Graduate Institute of Mass Communication professor Chen Ping-hung (陳炳宏), Shih Hsin University communications management assistant professor Lo Huei-wen (羅慧雯) and NCC Department of Platform and Business director Chan I-Lien (詹懿廉) were reported to be nominated to replace three outgoing NCC commissioners: NCC Vice Chairman Wong Po-tsung (翁柏宗), and NCC commissioners Lin Li-yun (林麗雲) and Wang Wei-ching (王維菁), whose terms also expire in July.
The nominees are known for their expertise in telecommunications and media studies, rather than their political footprint.
KMT caucus deputy secretary Wang Hong-wei (王鴻薇) said the media tycoon was said to have influenced the nominations of new NCC commissioners through former DPP legislator Pan Meng-an (潘孟安), who has been designated the new Presidential Office secretary-general.
Canceling Liu’s nomination would be the biggest scandal in the communications sector, Wang said.
“Now everybody knows that the NCC is not only controlled by the DPP, but is also controlled by a powerful media group. The new government should explain itself once it takes office,” Wang said.
TPP Legislator Lin Kuo-cheng (林國成) said his caucus would work with the KMT caucus in reviewing the nominations of new NCC commissioners.
“The DPP still thinks that it can do whatever it wants when it comes to the nominations of new NCC commissioners. As an opposition party, we will work with the KMT for the sake of the truth and the people,” he said.
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