NTD APTV Calls on Taiwan to Investigate Satellite Blockage
2009-10-21 11:52
From September 17 to October 2 this year, NTDTV’s ST-1 satellite over Taiwan and southern China experienced severe signal blockage. At first the blockage was for a few hours a day, and then, on October 1—the highly politicized anniversary of China’s communist revolution—the signal was blocked completely for the whole day.
In response, New Tang Dynasty Asia Pacific Television—NTD APTV—hosted a press conference on October 5th in Taipei. They called on the Taiwan government to investigate the cause of the blockage.
Director of the Association of Taiwan Journalists Feng Jia Zhuang believes the Chinese Communist Party was involved—intentionally interfering with the broadcast.
[Feng Jia Zhuang, Director, Association of Taiwan Journalists]:
“The Chinese communist regime has been using money to bribe Taiwanese media bodies, and if that doesn’t work, they will then use technology to interfere. If we don’t resolve these infringements at an early stage, I think Taiwan will eventually lose its media freedom.”
NTDTV board member Gail Rachlin says the Chinese regime has long wanted to stop NTDTV’s broadcast because of its uncensored reporting.
[Gail Rachlin, NTDTV Board Member]:
“We provide in-depth information about religious freedom, the repression of faith in China, the ethnic unrest that’s going on and the official corruption that’s happening… Media freedom in Taiwan has been violated and we ask the Taiwanese government to investigate and find out the real source of what has happened.”
NTD APTV contracts with Taiwan’s Chunghwa Telecom Co. to broadcast its signal on the ST-1 satellite. But Chunghwa told us they still haven’t determined the cause of the signal blockage.
Chunghwa presented an investigative report to Taiwan’s regulatory National Communications Commission—or NCC—but NCC rejected the report, calling it “insufficient.” The NCC also promised to form an independent commission to research ways of preventing this kind of blockage from happening again.
Many speakers at the press conference were concerned that the issue not only affects NTDTV, but is also a question of Taiwan's national security.
[Feng Zheng Lin, Judicial Reform Foundation Executive]:
“From experience, it is very clear who is responsible. Today that regime will interfere with NTDTV but tomorrow it may interfere with our national communication in times of emergency. The signals that broadcast directly into China were interfered with so it is obvious to us who is responsible.”
[Ching-Te Lai, Taiwan Legislator]:
“Whether it is NTDTV or any other stations being blocked, our government has the responsibility to protect the rights to freedom of speech. It is of utmost importance to protect our taxpayers’ rights.”
But despite concerns from many Taiwanese officials, the government as a whole has not given any official response. The incident has become a litmus test of how the government will act to protect media freedom in Taiwan.
NTD News, Taipei.
In response, New Tang Dynasty Asia Pacific Television—NTD APTV—hosted a press conference on October 5th in Taipei. They called on the Taiwan government to investigate the cause of the blockage.
Director of the Association of Taiwan Journalists Feng Jia Zhuang believes the Chinese Communist Party was involved—intentionally interfering with the broadcast.
[Feng Jia Zhuang, Director, Association of Taiwan Journalists]:
“The Chinese communist regime has been using money to bribe Taiwanese media bodies, and if that doesn’t work, they will then use technology to interfere. If we don’t resolve these infringements at an early stage, I think Taiwan will eventually lose its media freedom.”
NTDTV board member Gail Rachlin says the Chinese regime has long wanted to stop NTDTV’s broadcast because of its uncensored reporting.
[Gail Rachlin, NTDTV Board Member]:
“We provide in-depth information about religious freedom, the repression of faith in China, the ethnic unrest that’s going on and the official corruption that’s happening… Media freedom in Taiwan has been violated and we ask the Taiwanese government to investigate and find out the real source of what has happened.”
NTD APTV contracts with Taiwan’s Chunghwa Telecom Co. to broadcast its signal on the ST-1 satellite. But Chunghwa told us they still haven’t determined the cause of the signal blockage.
Chunghwa presented an investigative report to Taiwan’s regulatory National Communications Commission—or NCC—but NCC rejected the report, calling it “insufficient.” The NCC also promised to form an independent commission to research ways of preventing this kind of blockage from happening again.
Many speakers at the press conference were concerned that the issue not only affects NTDTV, but is also a question of Taiwan's national security.
[Feng Zheng Lin, Judicial Reform Foundation Executive]:
“From experience, it is very clear who is responsible. Today that regime will interfere with NTDTV but tomorrow it may interfere with our national communication in times of emergency. The signals that broadcast directly into China were interfered with so it is obvious to us who is responsible.”
[Ching-Te Lai, Taiwan Legislator]:
“Whether it is NTDTV or any other stations being blocked, our government has the responsibility to protect the rights to freedom of speech. It is of utmost importance to protect our taxpayers’ rights.”
But despite concerns from many Taiwanese officials, the government as a whole has not given any official response. The incident has become a litmus test of how the government will act to protect media freedom in Taiwan.
NTD News, Taipei.
