Taiwan
Amendment seeks to end cable TV monopoly
Monday, 17 January 2011
Taiwan’s National Communications Commission is proposing legislation to bring about more competition in the cable-TV industry. NCC is asking the Legislative Yuan to revise the Cable Television Act to allow redefinition of the island’s 50+ service areas for cable TV, and elimination of the current monopoly enjoyed within service areas by individual cable providers. This would allow cable MSOs to compete against each other, subject to a national cap of one-third of the total number of subscriptions.
Pending enactment of legislative changes, the NCC is seeking to impose some changes through conditions attached to approval of licenses and transfers of ownership of cable groups. A recent article in the English-language Taipei Times outlined some of the issues. Members can find the article here.
Taiwan NCC Proposes to End Must-Carry Rule
Thursday, 08 October 2009
Radio Taiwan International - Terrestrial TV stations may soon disappear from some households in Taiwan due to a new move by the National Communications Commission (NCC). The NCC has decided to stop forcing cable TV companies to carry terrestrial channels. In the future, the NCC says, cable providers must negotiate with the terrestrial channels such as Formosa TV and Taiwan Television Company for their programming.
CASBAA Joins Taiwan Think-Tank Briefing for NCC on Digital, Advertising Issues
Thursday, 06 August 2009
CASBAA participated in a briefing/dialogue for NCC members in Taipei on results of a policy study by The 21st Century Foundation. Hosted by the Cable Broadband Institute in Taiwan (CBIT), the briefing considered industry trends and the gradual digitalization of Taiwan’s cable system, and offered suggestion for facilitative policy approaches. One key issue is whether advertising will be allowed on digital premium channels. CASBAA members can find a brief English summary, and the full Chinese-language report by The 21st Century Foundation, here.
