The incoming head of the National Communications Commission, Su Herng, said she is looking forward to tackling the challenges of leading Taiwan’s top communications policymaking body.
“We must strike a balance between promoting industry development and protecting consumers,” Su said during the handover ceremony Aug. 1. “But I believe I have a good team around me and the NCC is more than up for the challenge.”
Su, previously director of National Chengchi University’s Department of Journalism, succeeds Bonnie Peng, whose two-year term expired July 31. The new NCC head won the leadership race earlier in the day, edging out spokesman and new deputy Chen Jeng-chang by four votes to three.
Chang Si-chung, a former professor at National Taiwan University’s Electrical Engineering Department, and Wei Shyuo-wen, a former professor at National Chi Nan University’s Electrical Engineering Department, join Su in taking over from Peng, Lee Ta-sung and Hsieh Chin-nan. Commissioner Liu Chorng-jian was appointed to a second term.
Established in 2006, the NCC is responsible for promoting the healthy development of communications, preserving media independence and ensuring fair and effective competition in the local communications market.
But in recent times, the NCC has come under fire from some elements of Taiwan’s private sector for its perceived failure to promote cross-media development.
According to sources familiar with the matter, this was due to the inexperience of the commissioners who are academics and have no coal-face experience of the telecommunications industry.
“We expect the private sector to be keeping on a close watch on the new chairwoman and commissioners,” they said. (JSM)