Taiwan to shut down China-friendly tycoon's news channel

Want Want China Holdings

18/11/2020 08:47

TAIPEI, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Taiwan refused on Wednesday to
renew the license of a news channel widely seen as pro-China,
effectively shutting it down, citing evidence of interference
from a Beijing-friendly tycoon amid fears over China's campaign
to win support on the island. 
    The rejection of CTi cable's request is the first time
Taiwan has shut, even though indirectly, a television news
station since the regulator, the National Communications
Commission was set up in 2006. 
    The decision provoked immediate anger from CTi and Taiwan's
main opposition party, which called it an attack on media
freedom. 
    Taiwan's government has repeatedly said China has stepped up
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 under its control.
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N2H102T
    Commission head Chen Yaw-shyang said the rejection decision
was unanimous and cited accusations of interference in CTi's
editorial independence by major shareholder Tsai Eng-meng, who
runs one of China's largest food firms, Want Want China Holdings
Ltd  0151.HK .
    "It is a fact that their biggest shareholder had directly
interfered in the news desk of CTi," Chen said.
    CTi had been fined for several violations such as failure to
check 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 vowed to fight the decision in court, has
denied favouring China, saying the government is seeking to
silence those who do not support its policies.
    Chen said CTi received more than 920 complaints last year,
about a third of the total for all news channels in Taiwan. 
    However, he said, there was no evidence that CTi had
received Chinese government funding. 
    Reuters could not immediately reach key shareholder Tsai to
seek comment, but he has previously rejected accusations of
newroom interference. 
    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,
strongly impacting press freedom".

 (Reporting by Yimou Lee; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
 ((yimou.lee@thomsonreuters.com; +886-2-8729-5122;))