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TAIPEI: Taiwan on Wednesday (Nov 18) refused to renew the license of a news channel widely viewed as pro-China, effectively shutting it down, citing evidence of interference from a Beijing-friendly mogul amid fears over the China campaign to gain support on the island.
The rejection of CTi cable’s application is the first time that Taiwan has shut down, albeit indirectly, a television news station since the regulator, the National Communications Commission, was created in 2006.
The decision drew immediate ire from CTi and Taiwan’s main opposition party, calling it an attack on press freedom.
The Taiwanese government has repeatedly said that China has stepped up its efforts, including a media campaign, to infiltrate and gain influence on the democratic island, which Beijing considers its own and has threatened to use force to bring it under its control.
Commission chief Chen Yaw-shyang said the rejection decision was unanimous and cited allegations of interference in CTi’s editorial independence by major shareholder Tsai Eng-meng, who runs one of the largest food firms. from China, Want Want China Holdings Ltd.
“It is a fact that its largest shareholder had directly interfered with the CTi news table,” Chen said.
CTi had been fined for various violations, such as failing to verify the facts and endangering the public interest, he added.
“The Tsai government has closed CTi; press freedom is dead!” CTi wrote on its Facebook page in response, referring to President Tsai Ing-wen.
The channel, which promised to fight the decision in court, has denied being in favor of China and said the government seeks to silence those who do not support its policies.
Chen said that CTi received more than 920 complaints last year, about a third of the total from all news channels in Taiwan.
However, he said, there was no evidence that CTi had received funding from the Chinese government.
Reuters was unable to immediately reach key shareholder Tsai for comment, but previously rejected allegations of interference in the new room.
Tsai’s family owns two television stations and several newspapers and cable networks in Taiwan.
The Kuomintang, Taiwan’s main opposition party, said it opposed the decision as it could have a “chilling effect, heavily impacting freedom of the press.”
