Two new terrestrial television licences have been issued by Taiwan’s National Communications Commission (NCC). One of the licences will be for a commercial broadcaster, while the other will be for a commercial-free station airing public interest programmes.

NCC spokesperson Chen Jeng-chang said the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, which is in charge of planning the use of the nation’s broadcasting spectrum, said five new terrestrial television licences would be issued. As the administrative authority executing the policy, the commission can decide on the formats that the licences will be issued in.

Chen added that those obtaining the new licences, which would be valid for nine years, must commit to broadcast only high-definition programmes. The commission has yet to decide if the current operators should be subjected to the same rule when their licenses expire.