Sanlih Entertainment Television Inc. (SET TV) Chairman Lin Kun-hai (???), who rose from humble beginnings to become a media mogul and influential figure within the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), has died at the age of 68.
In a statement released Tuesday, SET TV said Lin had died from cancer at Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital Monday night.
Born in Kaohsiung in 1954, Lin eked out a living as a taxi driver in his early years before running a video rental store with his wife and brother-in-law in 1983.
This laid the foundation for his venture into the entertainment business that eventually saw him establish SET TV’s predecessor, Sanlih Audio & Video Co., Ltd.
In 1993, when the local cable TV market was opened, Lin set up several SET channels, which gradually developed into SET TV.
In addition to producing popular Taiwanese-language entertainment programs, SET’s news channels became a prominent source of support for the DPP both in and out of office.
Despite running as an independent in Kaohsiung in the 2001 legislative elections, Lin and his media empire have leaned heavily toward the DPP in recent years.
Although Lin was not a member of the party himself, a faction led by Lin emerged as a new force within the DPP in 2016 and later evolved to become the New Brave Foundation in 2020.
Among the prominent members of the group are Legislators Wang Ting-yu (???), Chao Tien-lin (???) and Lin Chu-yin (???).
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel