NCC invited industry representatives to communicate and called for the completion of the revision of the three laws of radio and television.

NCC invited industry representatives to communicate and called for the completion of the revision of the three laws of radio and television.

In order to consolidate the consensus of all walks of life on the amendment to the three laws on radio and television, and to facilitate the completion of the amendment to the three laws in the current session of the Legislative Yuan, Shi Shihao, chairman of the State Communications Commission (NCC), and a number of members specially invited industry representatives such as the chairman of the Television Association, the chairman of the Taiwan Cable Broadband Industry Association, and the Secretary General of the Satellite Association to attend the meeting to discuss the draft amendment to the three laws and related issues.

Shi Shihao, chairman of the communication committee, stressed that when the three laws on radio and television were formulated, they were still in the era of analogy signals, and the idea of martial law control is still retained today. for example, provisions such as the prior examination of radio and television programs by the competent authorities have long been inconsistent with the trend of digital convergence. it also violates the requirements of the human rights covenants; the purpose of amending the three laws on radio and television is to adjust these outdated norms and deal with various problems that are stifled by outdated laws and regulations. At present, it has entered the last session of the current legislator.If the amendment to the law is not completed in this session, according to the cross-term discontinuous regulations, the bill is bound to be returned to the Executive Yuan, which will seriously delay the normal development of the radio and television industry.

During the discussion, industry representatives have put forward ardent expectations for the revision of the three laws on radio and television, among which the issue of "must be carried" on wireless television channels is still concerned. Shi Shihao, chairman of the communication committee, pointed out that the amendment proposed by the Executive Yuan, examined and approved by the Transport Committee of the Legislative Yuan, is exactly the same as the current supervision practice. However, in order to get closer to the different positions among the public associations, NCC proposed an amendment to the "conditional basic channel version" in an attempt to address the interests of all parties: regardless of the channels produced and broadcast by wireless television or satellite channel operators, their home-made high-definition programs can be applied to a certain standard, and they will be listed as basic channels after reaching an agreement with cable system operators, and the plan will not be formally implemented until cable TV is fully digitized. At that time, the system will also have enough bandwidth to accommodate the new HD channels.

In this way, cable TV users can watch more high-quality programs, respect the long-established commercial mechanism of putting channels on the shelves, and jump out of the "zero-sum" stalemate of whether or not they are "required" or how many they are. With regard to the "must-be" issue, NCC called on all sectors of the community to reach a consensus and complete the process of amending the law to facilitate the clarification of the supervision legal system, so as to avoid disputes caused by the obvious gap between the existing provisions and the practice of the industry. The association stressed that it respects the outcome of the consultation of the Legislative Yuan and strives to assist in the smooth completion of the amendment of the three laws on radio and television.

The attendees also raised some problems faced by the three laws of radio and television. Shi Shihao, chairman of the communication meeting, all explained one by one, pointing out that some of his worries may be due to information gaps or misunderstandings. For example, the current legal system of wireless television, NCC, has adjusted the implementation mode of the two human rights conventions, and the control gap between radio and satellite radio and television has been adjusted as far as possible, which can provide relevant information. As for channel agents, if monopoly issues are involved, NCC and Fairness will properly deal with them in accordance with their statutory duties. With regard to some long-term and holistic issues, the Association is working on the relevant legislation on convergence, and will build a new communication legal system as a whole from the perspective of digital convergence, and step up to keep up with the pace of scientific and technological development to ensure the well-being of the public.

Shi Shihao, chairman of the communication committee, finally stressed that whether it is the revision of the three laws on radio and television, or the formulation of the convergence bill, NCC hopes to "build clouds for the development of the industry, rather than sitting in the clouds." therefore, it is willing to listen to suggestions from all walks of life, and foreign communication and dialogue never stops, taking foresight, macro, and feasibility as the goal of law revision; even if the new law is completed, it will try its best to mitigate the impact with appropriate administrative measures. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of all of you, the amendment of the three laws on radio and television will be completed as soon as possible, so as to improve the legal system of communication and convergence.

▲ NCC invited industry representatives to communicate and called for the completion of the revision of the three laws of radio and television.