From: yang-allan@CS.YALE.EDU (J. Allan Yang)
Subject: Re: Any effort for TV & radio deregulation??
Organization: Dept of CS, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-2158
	<1992Oct3.225755.315@cs.yale.edu> <b+3-QF@engin.umich.edu>
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1992 17:04:11 GMT

 > From: chyang@engin.umich.edu (Chung Hsiung Yang)
 > Date: Sun, 04 Oct 92 00:13:02 EDT
 > Organization: University of Michigan Engineering, Ann Arbor
 > References: <1992Oct2.193926.16225@cs.yale.edu> <LMH.92Oct3141921@luke.lcs.mit.edu> <1992Oct3.225755.315@cs.yale.edu>
 >
 > 	The televison issue is very interesting.  While KMT is afraid of 
 > DDP using the legalized TV cannel as a mean for propaganda.  (Some people
 > claimed this.)  It is interesting that not many legislature care about this
 > I think one of the biggest reason is that fact that many Taiwanese homes
 > have satilite dishs and they could receive stations from Japan.  These are
 > perfectly legal.  It seems like your average citizen don't really care about
 > this issue, I think it is because your average citizen can get anything they
 > what to see or hear via satilite and via video tapes.  Perhaps there
 > are regulation toward this stuff, but it does not seem like it is enforced when
 > I was in Taiwan.  

TV not only serves as an entertainment media, it also has tremendous
influence in shaping public opinion by selecting what it reports and
how it reports. Programs through satellites from Japan are fine for
entertainments and international news. But they carry very little
information about the issues directly related to the daily living in
Taiwan. We all know that there still are many problems in Taiwan,
especially the corruption in many sectors of public services (e.g.
military, police, schools, etc). We also know that Taiwan is
currently on a very delicate political stage and decisions made by
the politicians on many issues will have significant impact on the
people in Taiwan.

Ideally, opening up the airwaves will give more channels to expose
the injustice, help building the pressure to rectify these problems,
keep the politicians in power honest, remind them of the
responsibility to seek for the best interest for the people (not for
themselves), and hopefully make Taiwan a better place to live in.

 > 	Arguement aside, I think the degreguation of TV and airwave could
 > only mean good thinks for the public and the government.  I really believe taht
 > it is only a matter of time before this issue becomes history.  I guess 
 > the bottom line is that the Taiwanese public will eventually demand high
 > quality entertainment (notice I did not say freedom of speech).  And 
 > to do so there must be more freedom on the airwave in order for this to 
 > happen.  

I agree that it is only a matter of time. But I also feel that
without vigorous pressure KMT will never give up its monopoly on TV
since the monopoly gives KMT a tremendous political edge in
influencing, or, worse yet, manipulating, public opinions.

Entertainments are important. But people in Taiwan deserve factual
reports on events and decisions that could impact their livings.
Someone, either candidates or intellectuals, should really advocate
and promote people's right to know.

- Allan