TAIWAN: NCC to review Sisy Chen TV program

The National Communications Commission received complaints from viewers that an episode of 'Wenqian Mengxiang Yizhan' that included coverage of hotels seemed like an advertisement

Taipei Times
Sunday, August 2, 2009

By Shelley Shan

A TV program hosted by former independent lawmaker Sisy Chen is to be reviewed by the National Communications Commission (NCC) on suspicion that it produced "infomercials," an NCC official said yesterday.

Communication content department director Jason Ho said the NCC had received complaints from viewers concerning the content of the program, Wenqian Mengxiang Yizhan.

The NCC then evaluated the episode cited by viewers, Ho said.

The program featured about six minutes of coverage on hotels, with details such as the names and the special dishes they offer, Ho said.

The NCC has sent a letter to Chen asking for an explanation, he said.

"This is the way we handle all cases -- by following administrative procedures," he said. "Whether the program violated media legislation will be determined by the members of the [NCC's] content review committee."

Members of the committee are media researchers and representatives of civic groups.

The panel's conclusion must then be passed by the NCC commissioners to become final.

Chen hosts several news programs on TV and radio and writes a column for the Chinese-language Apple Daily.

Upon receiving the NCC's letter, Chen lashed out at the commission, saying it had embarrassed her.

"As a program host, this is the first time I have ever received such a letter from the NCC," Chen wrote on her blog. "My first reaction was that it was too humiliating."

Chen defended her selection of news stories, saying she was increasing reporting on entrepreneurs and young people with dreams to inspire people amid rising unemployment.

Chen said that her programs had offered a wide range of in-depth international and domestic news over the past four years, and that not many TV stations were willing to offer such programs because of the high production costs.

"Based on the NCC's standards, almost every story we have done in these programs has been an advertisement -- except the suicide of former South Korean president Roh Moo-hyun," she said.

NCC data showed that the commission collected close to NT$70 million in penalties last year.

Of that total, approximately NT$40 million came from cases involving infomercial violations.

In the first half of this year, such informercials have continued to top the list of violations, accounting for NT$23 million in penalties.

Date Posted: 8/2/2009