Taiwan's changing broadcast landscape results in KMT selling CTV

I was surprised to see a Taipei Times article last week detailing the Nationalists' (a.k.a. KMT, GMD, 國民黨) efforts to sell off key media properties, including the China Television Company (中國電視公司). I used to work at CTV, in the news department.

My first reaction to the news of the sale was, why? The article suggested the KMT has some cash-flow issues, but a former colleague told me that there's more to it than that: A change in local regulations which requires political parties to divest themselves from media ownership. Additional reform has also taken power away from the Government Information Office -- the former propaganda/regulatory body for broadcast media -- and placed oversight in the hands of the National Communications Commission, an "independent" agency which is similar in responsibilities to the American FCC.

My reaction to these developments? It's about time! The idea of Taiwan's dominant political party owning a major terrestial broadcasting station was ridiculous 10 years ago. Certainly, the Nationalists' grip on political power has weakened since then, and cable TV and the Internet news has eroded CTV's market share, but nevertheless the selloff of CTV and other KMT media assets is something that should have happened a long time ago.*

When democracy and accountability comes to China, expect a similar selloff of state/party-run media outlets, including the New China News Agency and CCTV.

* Will the character of CTV's news change much under its new owners, the China Times? Maybe not. The China Times is itself a conservative news organization, and from what I hear, there has been no shakeup in the ranks of the CTV news department. It will be easier to gauge CTV's political bias under its new owners during this year's local elections, and Taiwan's 2008 presidential election.