Taiwan’s regulatory National Communications Commission—or NCC—has established the “Satellite Signal Interference Handling and Prevention Committee.” This committee will meet this Thursday to investigate the interference of NTD APTV’s ST-1 Satellite owned by Chunghwa Telecom Co. The satellite, which broadcasts into southern China, was knocked out of service on the anniversary of China’s communist revolution.
NTD APTV—Asia Pacific Television—is New Tang Dynasty Television’s partner company based in Taipei.
Thursday’s meeting will involve representatives from the NCC, Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, and outside experts.
Two representatives from NTD APTV have also been invited, but only as observers. NTD APTV Spokeswoman Zhu Wanqi says the station should be more involved in the investigatory process.
“The real victims of this serious incident of satellite interference are NTD APTV and its 1.64 million viewers in Taiwan, as well as those Chinese people who can receive the truthful information broadcasted by NTD APTV,” said NTD-APTV spokesperson Zhu Wanqi.
“In fact, we are direct victims of this. As this process carries on, we hope that while this Committee investigates the satellite signal interference—and the prevention of future incidents—we can present and express our opinions, and participate in the entire investigation process.”
From September 17 to October 2 this year, NTDTV’s ST-1 satellite over Taiwan and southern China was blocked—at first for a few hours a day, and then for the entire day on October 1, the 60th anniversary of China’s communist revolution.
So far, the cause of the blockage has not been determined. But the timing of the interference has made some people suspicious—people like Vincent Brossel, Head of the Asia-Pacific Desk for Reporters Without Borders.
“One has to ask: Who benefits from this case? In other words, why has this incident occurred?” asked Brossel. “The incident happened right before October 1st, a highly sensitive date. During this period, we have seen that the whole suite of security measures set up in China has been absurd and paranoid. Of course, a TV station like NTDTV makes the authorities uncomfortable. So when we ask who benefits from this case, naturally we would say: Beijing.”
Brossel has urged the Taiwan government to determine exactly what happened to the ST-1 satellite.
Watch the video on the NTDTV Web site.
