Taiwan: Three illegal radio stations shut down; only 14 remain

http://www.ncc.gov.tw/English/

May 3, 2010 9:47 am 

The National Communication Commission (NCC) clamped down yesterday on three underground radio stations, two in the Taipei area and one in southern Kaohsiung, to reduce the number of illegal broadcasting firms being monitored to 14 throughout Taiwan.

The NCC said the crackdown was carried out Sunday to demonstrate that the Cabinet-level agency will not let up on efforts to weed out unlicensed operators even on holidays.

Led by NCC officials, telecommunications police confiscated 20 sets of broadcasting equipment in the latest sweep.

NCC officials said the efforts of monitoring and gathering evidence will be stepped up to deter any attempt to engage in the illicit broadcasting operations that mainly sell illegal drugs.

To safeguard the interests of legitimate operators, the NCC is also actively seeking support from lawmakers to back the latest revisions of the Broadcasting and TV Law to open more channels to interested investors, they said.

Premier Wu Den-yih vowed in December last year to vanquish all underground broadcasting organizations that often become more active when Taiwan holds local or national elections.

The premier blamed the underground electronic media operations as a major cause for the increase in kidney patients in rural regions and overall dialysis costs in Taiwan.

However, some media outlets disputed the number of illegal radio stations still existing in Taiwan as cited by the NCC.

Some of them still believe the number of illegal operators is at around 100 on the island.

Many hosts of radio shows at legitimate broadcasting outlets have also been pushing sales of pharmaceuticals with dubious effects, they noted.

Source: 

Three illegal radio stations shut down; only 14 remain http://bit.ly/cw2weR

(Yimber Gaviria, Colombia)