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Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Taiwan to open international broadcasting channel


Text of report in English by Taiwanese Central News Agency website

[By Elizabeth Hsu]

Taipei, Aug. 8 (CNA) - The Government Information Office (GIO) is working with scholars, experts and media representatives on a plan to open an international broadcasting channel to speak for Taiwan, GIO Minister Shieh Jhy-wey said Wednesday. Shieh explained that Taiwan has never had its own international broadcasting channel like Japan’s NHK, or the Arabic Al-Jazeera television network headquartered in Doha, Qatar.

If Taiwan had its own broadcasting network, Shieh said, it could at once convey to the international community accurate information about Taiwan-related issues the government thinks would be seen as important by the international community, such as the one concerning Taiwan’s move to push for a referendum on its bid for UN membership.

In the initial plan, Shieh said, the channel will be launched in a non-government form to broadcast in Mandarin and English about events in Taiwan, Taiwan-relevant events in China and Asian events. Shieh said the planned facility could be established in eight months to a year at a cost of around NT2bn dollars (US60.62m dollars).

(Source: Central News Agency website, Taipei, in English 1223 gmt 8 Aug 07 via BBC Monitoring/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)