The Government Information Office (GIO) rejected an accusation Tuesday by former president and CEO of the Public Television Service (PTS) that it has stepped into a leadership change dispute at the TV station. 'We have always respected the independence of PTS in accordance with the country's Public Television Law and have never tried to intervene in the station's personnel affairs and operations, ' said the GIO, which provides funding for PTS, in a statement released after former PTS President Sylvia Feng held a press conference to level her accusations earlier that same day. 'Feng's accusations are totally untrue and misleading, ' the GIO said. Feng said her removal by the board of directors of the PTS Foundation, which controls the station, was the result of a government attempt to deprive PTS of its independence and professionalism. The foundation announced the removal of Feng and her deputy Chung Yu- yuan with immediate effect Sept. 19, three months before their tenures expire, citing their poor performance. However, Feng said in the press conference that she is still PTS president and vowed to take legal action against the PTS board of directors for using what she described as 'illegal means' to fire her and Chung. Feng also accused the GIO of trying to force her TV station into joining hands with selfnews and Radio Taiwan International (RTI), Taiwan's two other public media organizations, in reporting on the International Flora Expo to be held in Taipei Nov. 6-April 25 next year. The GIO said that it asked the three media organizations to consider cooperating to maximize their efficiency and save public resources in accordance with an instruction from the Control Yuan, the country's highest watchdog body. Feng's dismissal prompted Freedom House to express concern over the integrity of Taiwan's public TV. 'It is our hope that the recent steps are not a reflection of PTS succumbing to the polemical character of much of today's media in Taiwan, ' said Christopher Walker, director of studies at Freedom House in a statement made a day earlier. 'We encourage Taiwan's policy makers to ensure that PTS does not become a casualty of political conflict,' he added. Freedom House urged Taiwan to safeguard the integrity of its public broadcaster following the removal of its leadership. In response, PTS Foundation acting Chairman Chen Sheng-fu said Freedom House's call and other opinions will be respected and accepted. But Chen also said that the board members were duly exercising their right to pick and dismiss Feng as PTS president, and that the unnecessary 'political interpretation' of Feng's removal will only undermine the independence of the PTS group. 