Newsletter
DRAFT OF THE AMENDMENT TO BROADCASTING AND TELEVISION LAW
In November 1999, the Government Information Office (GIO) completed drafting amendment to the Broadcasting and Television Law, which after review by the Executive Yuan, will be sent to the Legislative Yuan for deliberation. The main points include:
Allowing wireless broadcast and TV operators to engage in pay channel and telecommunications business.
Explicitly providing that the founding members, shareholders, directors and supervisors of an wireless broadcast or TV operator must be ROC citizens, and that no single shareholding may exceed 50%.
Amending the locally produced program content requirement from the present minimum of 70% to a weekly minimum of 60%, and abolishing the requirement for Chinese-language subtitles of foreign films.
Relaxing the limits on advertising from 15% of program time to one-fifth for broadcasting and one-sixth for television.
To protect consumers' rights, adding new provisions that when wireless broadcast or TV operators operate pay-channel programs, they must report their charging rates to the government annually, and must enter into written contracts with subscribers.