TAIPEI: The "National Communications Commission" (NCC) rejected Next Media's applications to establish general information and news TV channels during a review yesterday.

The decision was made because the company's presentation of news using lurid and sensationalist graphic animation does not conform with the principle that news should reflect the real facts, said NCC spokesman Chen Cheng-tsang.

The provisions of Article 5 of the Basic Communications Act stipulate that media content providers should produce and broadcast programs that safeguard human dignity, respect the rights of the socially disadvantaged and promote diversified and balanced cultural development.

Judging from news samples provided by the company, it is apparently in violation of the regulations, particularly as regards safeguarding human dignity, Chen added.

The commission said that all news reporting should be classified under the general category rather than being classified into restricted and parental guidance categories.

Chen Yu-hsin, editor-in-chief of Next Media's TV news department, said the company would not respond until it had received official notification of the application rejections.

In addition to the two TV channels, Next Media Group has also filed applications to establish sports, entertainment and movie channel.

The NCC suspended screening of the applications for three channels and demanded that the company provide more details about its overall plans.

NCC members said Next Media had yet to clarify whether the entertainment and sports news to be broadcast on its TV channels will be presented using graphic animation techniques, according to the spokesman.

Next Media sparked a public outcry after its Apple Daily launched graphic animation online news services featuring explicit reconstructions of criminal acts, including sexual assaults and murders.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 12/10/2009 page2)