Pressures of FTV and DPP Reform: FTV Founder Chai Trong-rong Forced to Resign as Chairman

In August 2003, as the DPP government pushed forward the policy of 'withdrawing party, government, and military influence from media,' Chai Trong-rong, who simultaneously served as a DPP legislator and FTV Chairman, became the central target of public pressure. After a prolonged standoff and negotiation, Chai was forced to announce his resignation as Chairman of Formosa TV right before the 'September 5th deadline,' with Vice Chairman Tien Tsai-ting taking over. While marked as a key milestone in Taiwan's media reform history, this incident exposed the stubborn reluctance of early DPP elites to separate political power from public broadcasting. Even after resigning, Chai continued to wield substantial control behind the scenes under the title of 'Founder,' sparking widespread criticism of a fake withdrawal.