The KMT accused the Taipei Times, the Taiwan News and foreign media of not covering the KRTC scandal as extensively as the KMT thinks it should be covered. They made other accusations that were easily disproved, and ended up looking pretty foolish.
Alright all overseas foreigners out there: do you really care about a Taiwanese light rail transit bribery scandal? Do you get up each day wondering who paid who off, and how much traded hands? Of course it’s important, but maybe it’s not quite as important as 700 missiles being pointed at Taiwan, and the KMT blocking defensive arms bills.
The real reason for the KMT’s tantrum is that the government is pursuing the TVBS television station, which is currently a KMT media ally. The KMT argues that this is a violation of freedom of the press, but the truth is more complicated. More than 50% of TVBS is owned by Hong Kong interests, which is itself a violation of a law limiting foreign ownership of media outlets to 49% or less. Moreover, there is good reason to suppose that there is communist Chinese influence in the case of a television station with a majority of its shares held by Hong Kongers.
It’s a shot across the bow of the Taipei Times and the Taiwan News. Remember our record from 45 years of dictatorship, says the KMT. What the government does to TVBS, they warn, we can one day do to you.
Update: The Taipei Times editorial response: