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NCC urged to halt
Want Want-CNS deal
FREEDOM TO CHOOSE: The DPP is concerned about
the rights of cable TV viewers, about 80% of whom are forced to accept a flat
rate fee, as well as dull programming
By Chris Wang / Staff Reporter
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday urged the National
Communications Commission (NCC) to block Want Want China Times Group’s attempt
to acquire China Network Systems (CNS) as the committee convenes this week to
screen the deal.
“The DPP urges the National Communications Commission to block the highly
controversial deal, which, if approved, would create an inter-media monopoly
that threatens freedom of speech in Taiwan,” DPP spokesperson Lo Chih-cheng
(羅致政) said in a press release.
The NT$76 billion (US$2.57 billion) merger deal would affect 1.18 million
households, or about a quarter of households with a TV nationwide. That is why
the DPP and various watchdog groups have been keeping an eye on the case, Lo
said.
CNS is one of the nation’s largest multiple system operators and has 11 cable TV
services under its wing.
The DPP is concerned about the rights of cable TV viewers, about 80 percent of
whom are forced to accept a flat rate fee, as well as dull and poor programming
without the freedom of choice over their cable service provider, he said.
“We think the government should not just sit idly by and watch the
monopolization of media market,” he said.
More than 800 academics and almost 100 civic groups voiced their opposition to
the deal last year and three members with expertise in mass communications, law
and economics left the commission, leaving only four members with
telecommunications know-how to decide the case, Lo said.
Academics opposed to the deal fear that with a large proportion of Want Want
Group chairman Tsai Eng-ming’s (蔡衍明) profits being made in China, there is
reason to suspect that the group would prioritize programming favorable to the
Chinese government.
The DPP said it would attempt to uphold the public interest and freedom of
speech by asking its legislative caucus to monitor the development of the case
in the legislature.
“We advise President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) against turning a blind eye to the deal
and jeopardizing the long-term development of Taiwanese media,” Lo said.
The DPP believes that cable TV services should undergo a shakeup, he said, as
the government should ensure TV viewers pay fair fees and have freedom of choice
of which TV programs and channels they watch by demanding service providers
provide digital services within three years and by establishing a sound
mechanism for license screening.
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