When the Tsai Ing-wen administration killed Zhongtian News Channel in 2020, public opinion on the island lamented that "the freedom of the press is dead" and "Taiwan ushered in the darkest day." In less than two years, the so-called "freedom of the press" died again, and Taiwan ushered in another "the darkest day".
This time, the more old TVBS news station was pushed to the "shut".
Image source: Taiwan media
Taiwan cable TV operators "Taiwan Broadband Communications (TBC)" and "Dafeng Cable TV" recently submitted a frequency shift application to the Taiwan authorities' "Communication Communications Commission (NCC), requiring the TVBS News Station to be moved from Channel 55 to Channel 158 and Channel 149, and at the same time applying to replace the newly established "Mirror TV" news station to Channel 55.
Image source: Taiwan media
Anyone who has a little understanding of Taiwanese media can smell the smell of conspiracy from it. Taiwan TV has a set of "10,000-year channel table", which simply means that the channel code of each station is fixed. No matter which operator the audience chooses or what set-top box is used, press the number and the channel that comes out will be the same. This "fixed frequency system" that has been implemented for 20 years has solidified the audience's viewing habits and created some special golden "frequency bands". For example, the channels 49 to 56, which are concentrated in Taiwan’s mainstream news stations, are the highest ratings and the most influential, and belong to the “gold among gold.” For the island society, every station here is a high ground for public opinion; for TV stations and operators, every station here is an absolute money tree.
Image source: Taiwanese media
TVBS News Channel was moved from the core area to corners, and the consequences were actually similar to Zhongtian News Channel, whose license was revoked, and its money-making ability and influence will plummet. What is even more abnormal is that operators' behavior is "killing one thousand enemies and hurting eight hundred by themselves", and they will pay a considerable price in economic interests and industry competition. There is a loss on the table on
, and there must be a win-win situation behind the scenes. What can make TV stations and operators bow their heads and admit defeat is the "NCC" that holds the power of life and death in Taiwan's telecommunications, information and communication industries. When the Taiwan authorities boasted of "media freedom", they once gave the institution considerable autonomy. Until the last "nine-in-one" election, the Tsai administration blamed "certain media" for helping the blue and green, so it directly replaced the disobedient "NCC chairman" with Chen Yaoxiang. In the secret documents leaked by Tsai Office, Tsai Ing-wen's comment on him was that she was "not very good at handling matters, but she was very obedient."
Image source: Taiwan media
Later proved that Chen Yaoxiang is not only obedient, but is actually very good at handling things. The "NCC" first used the power to renew licenses to "not change photos" of Zhongtian News Station, which was "overly active" during the "nine-in-one" election, directly abolished this "blue enemy station". By this year's "nine-in-one" election, new tricks have been created, and the only remaining blue news is undermined. You should know that the ratings covered by TBC and Dafeng include six counties and cities including New Taipei , Taoyuan, Hsinchu , Miaoli, Taichung and Kaohsiung . It’s a coincidence that they are all key areas of the DPP’s election. As for the "Mirror TV" waiting to rise, the political color has long been no secret since the application for the establishment of a station, former Secretary-General of the DPP, Hong Yaofu, took action personally.
is again "setting accounts after autumn" and "layout ahead of schedule". The reason why the Tsai administration spent so much effort is because on this election island, TV news stations and political commentary programs have always had unusual popularity. According to statistics, the average viewership rate of Taiwan’s news station exceeds 30% of the total viewership rate. On average, more than 15 million people watch TV every day, of which more than 10 million people watch the news station. The prime time between 6:00 and 12:00 pm during political commentary programs contributed 70% of the ratings, and the popularity during the major election was even more exaggerated. This situation has led to channels 49 to 56 becoming an extremely critical political resource , and the Tsai administration naturally couldn't help but attack. Once the TVBS News Channel is successfully removed, this hot area that determines the direction of Taiwan's public opinion and political offense will no longer be blue, and will be completely green, and there will be only one voice left in the future.
Image source: Taiwan media
Here, thousands of voters on the island who are addicted to vote games will completely enter the " information cocoon " created by the Democratic Progressive Party, fall hand in hand on deepening identity, and support each other on the road to death... Just like the vegetable worm in Lu Xun's writing, slowly enters an indestructible state under the poisonous needle of the thin-waisted wasp, becoming a poor worm that provides nutrients for the rulers and perpetrators to inherit the family line.
To put it bluntly, in Taiwan, it is not normal for political news with fanatical ratings or news channels that are open and secretly fighting. The more popular this kind of thing, the cooler Taiwan’s future will be.
Source: Strait Shinkansen
