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Tsai Eng-meng makes
hearing
OPPOSITION: Opponents of the CNS deal continued
to raise concerns about the problem of media concentration and freedom of speech
if Tsai¡¦s group acquired CNS¡¦ cable services
By Shelley Shan / Staff reporter
Want Want China Times Group
chairman Tsai Eng-meng, front, attends a public hearing at the National
Communications Commission in Taipei yesterday to answer questions about his bid
for the 11 cable TV channels owned by China Network Service.
Photo: CNA
Want Want China Times Group Chairman Tsai
Eng-meng (½²l©ú) yesterday attended a public hearing on Want Want China
Broadband¡¦s bid for cable TV services owned by China Network System (CNS) and
said he did not take any funds from China.
Prior to the hearing, Tsai had said he would only attend it if the National
Communications Commission (NCC) promised to make a decision on the deal within
two weeks of the hearing.
Over the weekend, an assistant of Tsai said would not attend the hearing. Tsai
said he changed his mind because he could not sleep at night and he heard that
Next TV would have a live broadcast of the entire hearing.
¡§My shareholders did not want me to come because I am only an investor, having
50 percent of the shares in Want Want China Broadband,¡¨ Tsai said.
Tsai described the hearing as ¡§a fight to defend his dignity¡¨ and added that he
attended the meeting to have his thoughts and ideas examined by all.
¡§I knew before I came that 80 to 90 percent of the questions at the hearing
would be directed at me,¡¨ he said. ¡§So I propose we have a question-and-answer
session, and I would answer all the questions from those who oppose or hate me
and let them decide if I love Taiwan or not. Otherwise, it would be pointless
for me to be here.¡¨
NCC Chairperson Su Herng (ĬôÁ), who presided over the hearing, did not grant Tsai
his wish.
She said he could speak when the meeting was opened for different parties to
express their opinions.
Experts opposing the deal, including Academia Sinica assistant research fellow
Huang Kuo-chang (¶À°ê©÷), as well as National Taiwan University professors Ivy
Chang (±iÀAµØ) and Jang Show-lin (¾G¨q¬Â), said the commission should reject the bid
immediately because it would result in a concentration of media ownership.
Chang said the Chinese--language China Times was paid to give extensive coverage
of visits by Chinese officials.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Yeh Yi-jin (¸©y¬z) said she became a
target of criticism on CTi TV ¡X a TV network of the Want Want China Times Group
¡X after she denied a special assistant dispatched by Tsai to speak at a meeting
in the legislature last month.
Yeh said CTi launched a three-day intensive attack against her.
Shih Hsin University professor Kuan Shan-ren (Ãö©|¤¯), who has been neutral on the
issue, said it has become really difficult for him to approve the bid after he
watched the midday news on CTi TV yesterday.
¡§I was late for the hearing this afternoon because I was monitoring the news on
TV at home,¡¨ Kuan said. ¡§It was understandable that you [CTi TV] decided to have
a live broadcast of the hearing, which is newsworthy, but do you need to have
pundits in the program critical of every comment at the hearing?¡¨
¡§I have never taken any specific position on the case, but you did something
that was -unprofessional. I do not know how I can still support you under such
circumstances,¡¨ Kuan said.
Kuan asked how Want Want China Broadband intends to uphold freedom of speech
after it acquires CNS and whether the company would allow channels with opposing
points of view to be included in their services.
Representatives from CNS and its major investor partner, as well as the cable
service industry, have urged the commission to quickly rule on the case, which
has been under review for 16 months.
Tsai denied taking any money from China to purchase the media.
He said he did not know any government official in China and Taiwan, nor did he
attend any meeting sponsored by the Chinese government.
He said he did not meddle with the operations of the China Times and knew fewer
than 20 people at the newspaper.
He admitted being ¡§reckless¡¨ when he published the photographs of three NCC
commissioners in the China Times for giving the Want Want Group a hard time when
it tried to purchase the China Times Group in 2009.
Commenting on the fact that Want Want China Times was fined for illegally
running advertisements from China, Tsai asked why they could not earn money from
China ¡§fair and square¡¨ when Taiwan has spent so much marketing in China.
He also said he had been advocating cross-strait peace and had never done
anything to betray Taiwan.
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