Taipei's iconic Eslite bookstore flagship store

The Eslite bookseller chain flagship
store in downtown Taipei.

15九校 (spelling) (indexed)定稿.indd 206 2011/10/18 1:35:32 AM

15 Mass Media
At a Glance
• Print media diversify business models
• e-Publishing records rapid growth
• Cable TV operators to compete over wider area

T
he diversity of Taiwan’s media environment is reflected in
the plethora of outlets and the intense competition within the
industry. With over 280 TV channels, 170 radio stations,
2,100 newspapers and 8,100 magazines competing for the
eyeballs and ears of the entire population of 23 million people, not to
mention a wide array of news and entertainment services on the Web,
media competition in Taiwan is arguably the world’s keenest.

In 2010, most types of media continued the industry-wide transition to
digital forms of distribution in order to survive and thrive. Print edi-
tions of newspaper and magazine publishers continued to lose ground
to Internet advertising competitors. Drawing on Taiwan’s strengths in
information and communications technologies, e-publishing is injecting
fresh vitality into their development as well as that of the book industry.

Meanwhile, terrestrial television is undergoing a transition from analog
to digital broadcasting, a process scheduled to be completed by the end
of 2012, while cable TV operations have gone into high gear in the race
to provide digital programming and defend market share.

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15 News Agencies
Mass Media
general public can access CNA news sto-
As of June 2011, there were 1,886 ries in Chinese, English and Spanish. The
domestic news agencies in Taiwan, most English-language edition, titled the Focus
of which focused on providing economic Taiwan News Channel, can be found at
and financial intelligence to clients in http://focustaiwan.tw.
Taiwan. The largest among them is the Another prominent news agency, the
Central News Agency (CNA) 中央通訊社. China Economic News Service (CENS)
Established as an arm of the Kuomintang 中國經濟通訊社, was founded in 1974 by
中國國民黨 in Guangzhou 廣州 in 1924 the United Daily News Group 聯合報系 to
and relocated to Taiwan in 1949, it has provide overseas buyers with up-to-date
been in operation longer than any other business and economic news as well as in-
news outlet in the ROC. Prior to full formation on and the contact information
democratization, it served as the ROC’s of Taiwanese suppliers. In addition, CENS
official state news agency. In 1996, CNA publishes trade magazines in print and
was reorganized as an autonomous news- CD-ROM editions and facilitates domestic
gathering organization free of political firms’ participation in overseas exhibitions.
interference in its reportage and editorial Established in 1946 under the Ministry
policymaking, though it is funded in part of National Defense, the Military News
by the central government, and its top Agency (MNA) 軍事新聞通訊社 is the only
management is appointed by the Execu- domestic news agency that specializes in
tive Yuan. news about the ROC armed forces. Be-
In recent years, CNA has rapidly ex- sides news releases and photos, the MNA
tended its outreach by taking advantage also provides video news reports.
of the Internet and digital technologies.
With correspondents reporting from ev-
ery city and county of Taiwan as well as Print Media
from 17 foreign countries, the agency Newspapers
provides domestic and international
news in Chinese, English and Spanish to According to The Nielsen Company,
media organizations worldwide. Among newspaper readership in Taiwan peaked
its other Internet operations are a global at 76.3 percent in 1991 and has steadily
business information service, a news declined since then. Only 43.9 percent of
network serving the needs of Taiwanese respondents to its 2008 survey said they
businesspeople in mainland China, and a had read a newspaper the previous day,
website catering to clients in Hong Kong representing a decrease of more than 30
and Macau. percentage points over nearly two de-
The agency operates an online photo cades. Despite this, the number of news-
sales platform, the largest of its kind papers continued growing until 2004.
in Taiwan. It also provides audio news Between 1988 and 1991, the number of
programs to radio stations and airlines, registered newspapers in Taiwan skyrock-
and news services to mobile phone us- eted from 31 to 244, and in 2004, to a re-
ers. Capitalizing on its worldwide news- cord high of 2,524. As of June 2011, the
gathering network, in April 2010 CNA figure stood at 2,156.
expanded into video news, furnishing Annual surveys from 2004 to 2008
clients with reports and video clips on conducted by Shih Hsin University 世新
a daily basis. On February 16, 2011, it 大學 consistently showed that television
established a Video News Center. The had become the primary source of news

208


for most adults, and surveys conducted United Daily News 聯合報 and the China
in 2009 by market survey companies Times 中國時報 are Taiwan’s major dailies.
InsightXplorer 創市際市場研究顧問 and (Unless otherwise indicated, newspapers
Pollster 波市特線上市調網 found that news- and magazines mentioned below are
papers have been further marginalized by Chinese-language publications.)
easy access to online news. This may ex- The Liberty Times, which began
plain why, of the 2,100-plus newspapers operations under that name in 1988, is
registered in 2011, only a couple dozen the only local newspaper to have joined
are published on a daily basis, and only the ROC branch of the Audit Bureau of
a few have been able to sustain economi- Circulations (ABC) 中華民國發行公信會
cally viable circulation and sales. (which conducts surveys of newspaper
The Chinese-language Liberty Times and magazine circulation primarily as
自由時報, the Apple Daily 蘋果日報, the reference for advertisers). According to

Landmark Events in the Development of Taiwan’s Mass Media
1952 he Enforcement Rules for the Publication Act 出版法施行細則 are promulgated,
T
marking the beginning of a ban on the establishment of new newspapers, magazines
and news agencies in Taiwan. The number of pages each newspaper can publish per
issue is also restricted.
1987 The first Taipei International Book Exhibition is held.
1988 he ban on new newspapers and magazines ends after the lifting of martial law (1987);
T
115 new dailies join the market.
1993 he Government Information Office (GIO) 行政院新聞局 opens up the radio airwaves,
T
accepting applications for new radio station licenses.
1993 he Cable Radio and Television Act 有線廣播電視法 goes into effect, dividing the
T
country into 51 franchise areas.
1994 he GIO begins accepting applications for cable TV franchises.
T
1995 he China Times launches its website—the first local newspaper to post its content
T
online.
1999 he Legislative Yuan (Legislature) repeals the Publication Act 出版法, completely
T
eliminating government control of publishing media.
2003 he Hong Kong-invested Apple Daily launches its Taiwan edition.
T
2004 he number of registered newspapers peaks at 2,524, compared with 31 in 1988.
T
2005 mendments to the Radio and Television Act 廣播電視法, Cable Radio and Television
A
Act, and the Satellite Broadcasting Act 衛星廣播電視法 take effect, banning govern-
ment agencies and political parties from investing in or operating electronic media.
2006 he newspaper industry undergoes a wave of closings, with well-known dailies like
T
the Great Daily News 大成報, Taiwan Daily 臺灣日報, Central Daily News 中央日報,
Star Newspaper 星報 and Min Sheng Daily 民生報 going out of business.
2010 he primarily English-language Taiwan News ends its daily print edition after 62
T
years of publication in favor of an exclusively online version.
2011 he Executive Yuan approves amendments to the Radio and Television Act; Cable,
T
Radio and Television Act; and Satellite Broadcasting Act to allow government agen-
cies to hold up to 10 percent of equity shares in television and broadcasting compa-
nies as well as cable system operators.

209


15 Mass Media
ABC’s data, the paper had a circulation
of approximately 667,000 in 2010, repre-
few with accompanying Chinese transla-
tion. Sister publications of the United
senting the largest independently certified Daily News include the Economic Daily
circulation among newspapers in Taiwan News 經濟日報 and the United Evening
that year. News 聯合晚報, which has been Taiwan’s
The debut of the Apple Daily in sole evening paper since 2005. The Unit-
2003 shook up the newspaper market ed Daily News Group also publishes the
by offering more excitement. Like its World Journal 世界日報, the most popular
parent tabloid-style paper of the same Chinese-language newspaper in North
name founded in Hong Kong in 1995 America and Thailand.
by Next Media Ltd. 壹傳媒有限公司, the Founded in 1950, the China Times has
Taiwan edition has carved out a niche recently been repositioning itself as an in-
by publishing intriguing accounts and tellectually more sophisticated paper that
photos of celebrities and figures in the provides in-depth analyses and extensive
worlds of politics, entertainment and coverage of international affairs. Over
sports. Its extensive use of graphics also the past few years, it has extended its
contributes to its appeal. In 2008, its last operations into electronic media, bring-
year as an ABC member, the paper had ing under its umbrella the terrestrial TV
an audited circulation of 510,000. Un- station China Television Co. 中國電視公
like The Liberty Times, which relies on 司 and satellite TV channel Chung Tien
subscriptions for over 70 percent of its Television (CtiTV) 中天電視. It has also
circulation, the Apple Daily has become crossed over into the tourism business, of-
a major player in the newspaper indus- fering culture- and history-oriented tours
try by winning a dominant share of the across the globe. Sister publications of
newsstand market. the China Times include the Commercial
Founded in 1951, the United Daily Times 工商時報, the China Times Weekly 時
News continues to enjoy a loyal reader- 報周刊 and the Want Daily 旺報, a newspa-
ship. Since September 2004, it has put out per launched in 2009 targeting Taiwanese
a supplement every Tuesday with articles readers interested in mainland Chinese
from The New York Times, including a business affairs.

Media Profile

Radio stations 171
Terrestrial (wireless) television stations 5
Cable television system operators 62
TV and radio program production/distribution companies 7,160
Audio (compact disc, etc.) production companies 10,098
Satellite broadcasting program providers (281 channels) 107
Satellite broadcasting service operators 9
Newspapers 2,156
Magazines 8,122
Book publishers 13,257
Foreign media with correspondents in Taiwan 61

Note: Figures are as of June 2011.
Sources: Government Information Office; National Communications Commission

210


A cross-section
assortment of
various magazines
published in
Taiwan.

Recent years have seen the rise of online edition. Another exclusively online
giveaway newspapers. Among them, Next newspaper, Taiwan Today, is published
Media’s tabloid the Sharp Daily 爽報, seven days a week by the GIO.
which shares news content with the Apple
Daily, is published five days a week and Magazines
targets rapid transit commuters in Taipei
City 臺北市, New Taipei City 新北市 and With 8,122 periodicals (as of June
Kaohsiung City 高雄市 as well as readers 2011) catering to all sorts of readerships,
in Taichung City 臺中市. A second free one might reasonably conclude that
daily, Upaper, is published by the United Taiwan’s magazine industry is reaching
Daily News Group, which targets the saturation. Each year, however, has seen
more than 1.1 million daily Taipei Metro more magazines enter the market than
臺北捷運 passengers. bow out of it. Though a record-high 84
Of Taiwan’s specialized newspapers, magazines withdrew from the market in
the most widely read are those focus- 2008, presumably due in part to the glob-
ing on finance and the economy. The al recession, 110-plus magazines defied
leading dailies in this category are the the odds and entered the fray that year.
Commercial Times and the Economic Data compiled by the Ministry of
Daily News. And for foreign residents in Finance (MOF) shows that the magazine
Taiwan as well as Taiwanese wishing to industry’s annual revenues rose steadily
keep abreast of world affairs, besides a for a couple of decades until 2006, after
multitude of foreign newspapers available which they fluctuated between a high of
at major bookstores, there are three lo- NT$22 billion (US$701 million) in 2008
cally published English dailies to choose and a low of NT$20 billion (US$607
from—the Taipei Times, The China Post million) in 2009 as a result of the glob-
and the Taiwan News. The Taiwan News al financial crisis, before rebounding
ended print publication on September 30, to NT$21.67 billion (US$685 million)
2010 and is now only available via an in 2010.

211


15 Mass Media

Taipei International Book Exhibition
One of Asia’s largest annual book fairs, the Taipei International Book Exhibition (TIBE)
臺北國際書展 serves as a channel for disseminating market information, developing busi-
ness relationships and marketing publishing rights. Among the innumerable Chinese-
language publications on display each year are winners of the Golden Tripod Awards 金
鼎獎, presented since 1976 mainly in recognition of excellence of content, and the Golden
Butterfly Awards 金蝶獎, held annually since 2004 for layout and artistic design.
The 19th TIBE, held from February 9 to 14, 2011, in recognition of the year’s theme coun-
try, the Kingdom of Bhutan, had as its theme “Reading The Path to Wellbeing.” Among
—
other events, it featured a Reading Festival with 100 public readings in a dozen languages.
TIBE 2011 hosted nearly 856 publishers and 450 writers from 59 countries. With a mil-
lion titles in Chinese and other languages being offered, the event attracted 590,000 visitors.

In response to fierce rivalry within remains an attractive market for publish-
the industry as well as to sharp competi- ers of internationally known periodicals.
tion of Web-based and other media for Some, such as Time, Newsweek and
advertising patronage, magazine publish- The Economist, offer direct subscrip-
ers have been trying to create multiple tion services or distribute their publica-
streams of income instead of relying tions through bookstores, while others
mainly on advertising. Commonly seen publish Chinese-language editions in
ways of diversifying revenue sources in- pursuit of a wider readership. The Chi-
clude charging for access to periodicals’ nese editions of fashion magazines such
databases, partnering with government as Vogue, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan,
agencies or enterprises to organize events, ELLE and ViVi have long enjoyed top
and forming alliances with other types of spots in Taiwan’s sales charts. Those of
media to promote products and services. National Geographic magazine, science
Market surveys show that magazines magazines such as Scientific American
on finance and business management, and Newton, as well as sports and leisure
news and current affairs as well as fash- magazines such as Golf, XXL, TENNIS,
ion are the most popular among Taiwan’s and Car and Driver have also succeeded
reading public, with the first two types in carving out a niche in Taiwan’s maga-
dominating the market for weeklies, and zine market.
the last commanding the lion’s share of The success of English-learning
monthlies. Leading periodicals on finance magazines is also a noteworthy feature of
and business management include the Taiwan’s market. Studio Classroom 空中
Business Weekly 商業周刊, Business Today 英語教室 and Let’s Talk in English 大家說
今周刊, CommonWealth 天下雜誌, Smart 英語, both associated with radio and TV
智富月刊 and Wealth 財訊雜誌, while Next programs, have ranked among the top 20
Magazine 壹周刊, the China Times Weekly, best-selling magazines for many years.
the Ming Pao Weekly 明報周刊, the TVBS The GIO publishes a number of
Weekly and Vision 遠見雜誌 are readers’ foreign-language magazines in print and
top choices for news and current affairs. online formats that report on Taiwan.
Though magazines have been los- These include Taiwan Review (English),
ing audience share and advertising Taiwan aujourd’hui (French), Taiwan
revenues to electronic media, Taiwan heute (German), Taivanskaia Panorama

212


(Russian) and Taiwan Hoy (Spanish). 27.6 percent year-on-year to 11,316,568
Another GIO periodical, Taiwan Pan- volumes, or 31,004 per day.
orama 台灣光華雜誌, is published in two As of June 2011, there were 13,257
editions featuring parallel texts, one with book publishers registered in Taiwan.
Chinese and English, the other with Chi- Apart from a score of large ones af-
nese and Japanese. The Taiwan Review filiated with media conglomerates and
celebrated its 60th anniversary in April enjoying ample financial and marketing
2011, while Taiwan Panorama celebrated resources, the majority were small, in-
its 35th year in print. dependent firms with registered capital
under US$160,000. Given that Taiwan’s
Books population growth rate is approaching
Since the International Standard Book zero and its book-reading public num-
Number (ISBN) system was implemented bers less than 20 million, new titles are
in Taiwan in 1989, the number of books experiencing shorter shelf lives and de-
appearing with ISBN codes has grown clining sales. Whereas books must sell
steadily, exceeding 40,000 each year between 5,000 and 20,000 copies to be
since 1995. Despite the global economic profitable, most new titles struggle to
downturn over the past couple of years, sell out their typical first printing of 2,000
the book market has proven to be resil- to 3,000 copies.
ient. In 2008, it experienced a decline of In addition to works of fiction, books
only 677 new titles and 1 percent of rev- on management, personal development
enues on sales of roughly US$1 billion. and spiritual enlightenment have the wid-
In 2010, the nation’s two largest chain est appeal among Taiwanese readers, with
booksellers, Kingstone 金石堂 and Eslite translations of foreign books continuing
誠品, as well as its most prominent online to sell well in 2010. Four of the year’s top
bookstore, Books.com.tw 博客來, reported 10 best-sellers were translations of The
sales growth. The latter’s sales jumped Lost Symbol by Dan Brown, Elizabeth

Display board
promoting a comic
publication at
the 2011 Taipei
International Book
Exhibition.

213


15 Mass Media

A touch-screen
e-reader display
featured at a
trade exhibition
in Taiwan.

Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love, Stieg Larsson’s including children’s book awards in the
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, United States and Japan. His latest release,
and The Baker Street Letters by Michael Artie and Julie 阿迪和朱莉, was selected
Robertson. In Taiwan’s book market, a by the U.S. National Council of Teachers
bestseller is defined as one that quickly of English as one of the 10 most notable
sells around 100,000 copies. children’s books of 2009.
In recent years, the United States, Aspiring writers’ distribution of
Japan, the United Kingdom, mainland their works free of charge via the Inter-
China and South Korea have been the net has also become a notable trend in
main sources for book licensing, while recent years.
mainland China, South Korea, Singapore,
Japan and other Asian countries have e-Publishing
been the top buyers of publication rights Just as Gutenberg’s printing press
for books copyrighted in Taiwan. Al- made mass production of books and dis-
though the inward flow of publication semination of knowledge possible, digi-
licenses for translated works is greater tization has spawned a revolution that
than the outward flow, domestic publish- has radically changed the way books
ers specializing in illustrated books and are produced, distributed, consumed
children’s books, such as Grimm Press 格 and preserved. Aware of the irreversible
林文化 and Heryin Books 和英文化, have trend of digitization, more and more
gained a foothold in overseas markets. publishers are focusing on models for
Writer-illustrator Jimmy Liao’s 幾米 marketing e-books.
works have been translated into a dozen As of the end of 2008, GIO statistics
languages and sold across North America indicate that 27.9 percent of domestic
and Europe. And, since Guji Guji made publishers were engaged in digital pub-
it to The New York Times bestseller list lishing, while 46.6 percent planned to do
in 2005, the English versions of Chen so within the next three years. Neverthe-
Chih-yuan’s 陳致元 picture books have less, 44.1 percent of publishers expressed
won widespread international acclaim, concerns over related problems, including

214


copyright infringement, the difficulty of with any kind of e-reader, provide at
convincing people to change their reading least 100,000 Chinese-language e-book
habits, and funding. titles, and boost the combined e-publishing
On the hardware side, backed by a industry’s output value to US$3 billion
strong information and communications by 2013.
technology industry, Taiwan over the past
Broadcast Media
few years has developed a complete sup-
ply chain of key components for e-book
reading devices, commonly known as Radio
“e-readers.” Among the 10-plus Taiwanese
companies specializing in e-reader technol- As of June 2011, Taiwan had 171
ogies, Prime View International 元太科技 is radio stations. Of these, 141 began op-
the world’s No. 1 producer of “e-paper”— eration only after 1993, when liberaliza-
ultra-thin e-reader screens, also known tion resulted in the release of more radio
as “electronic ink displays”—supplying frequencies for commercial use. This
more than 90 percent of the global market sharp increase in the number of stations,
for this e-reader component. however, has not been accompanied by
BenQ 明碁電通, a leading Taiwan- a proportional increase in listeners, thus
based manufacturer of computer and resulting in greater segmentation of the
communications equipment, launched its listening public.
nReader, the world’s first multilingual Surveys have found that music stations
e-reader, in January 2010, and displayed are the most popular, primarily attracting
at the Taipei World Trade Center in mid- people in their 20s. In second and third
2010 a 6-inch e-reader with a camera to places are variety stations and news sta-
scan a book’s bar code. Taiwan’s Delta tions, which are favorites among teenag-
Electronics 台達電子 displayed a 13-inch ers and male motorists, respectively. The
color-display e-reader at the same event. prime times for radio broadcasting are 8
As to digital publication format, do- a.m. to 12 noon and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
mestic content providers have in principle Radio Taiwan International (RTI) 中央
agreed to adopt the free and open EPUB 廣播電台, funded by the government, pro-
standard set by the International Digital duces and broadcasts programs to regions
Publishing Forum. Users of e-readers around the world in 13 languages, high-
displaying this format can join 500 par- lighting Taiwan’s culture, society, and
ticipating libraries in Taiwan to borrow political and economic affairs.
nearly 11,000 titles that the libraries will While most radio programs are in
offer online by 2012. Mandarin or Holo 河洛語, some are pro-
Aiming to boost development of e- duced in Hakka 客語, the Austronesian
publishing, the Executive Yuan in August languages of Taiwan’s indigenous peo-
2009 unveiled the Digital Publishing In- ples, English and other foreign languages
dustry Development Strategy and Action (see Chapter 2, “People and Language”).
Plan 數位出版產業發展策略及行動計畫, which International Community Radio Tai-
provides subsidies to developers and pro- pei 台北國際社區廣播電台—ICRT—is the
ducers of related technologies, products island’s only predominantly English-
and services over a five-year period. With language radio station, and broadcasts
a budget of US$66 million, its goals are talk shows, news reports and Western pop
to establish two or three open platforms music. In addition, a dozen other radio
that offer digital publications compatible stations air programs in English, Thai,

215


15 Mass Media
Indonesian and Vietnamese, providing In 2006, the Taiwan Broadcasting
Taiwan’s tens of thousands of Southeast System 臺灣公共廣播電視集團 was estab-
Asian residents with information about lished to become the umbrella organiza-
Taiwan, its labor regulations and news tion for several publicly funded television
from their homelands. enterprises, including PTS, CTS, Taiwan
Among Taiwan’s seven nonprofit, Indigenous Television 原住民族電視台
public service radio stations are National (TITV), Hakka TV 客家電視 and Taiwan
Education Radio 教育電台, which pri- Macroview TV 臺灣宏觀電視, which pro-
marily offers educational and language- duces and distributes Chinese-language
learning programs, and the Police Radio programs about Taiwan worldwide. This
Station 警察廣播電台, which specializes in array of programming resources is de-
round-the-clock traffic and news reports, signed to cater to audiences often over-
helping people recover belongings left in looked by commercial television, such as
taxis and facilitating rescue and disaster minority groups, children, senior citizens
relief efforts. and the hearing-impaired.
The five terrestrial TV stations have
been broadcasting in both digital and ana-
Television log formats for a number of years. Digital
Terrestrial Television technology has enabled them to greatly
Taiwan’s television industry dates expand their broadcasting capacity from
back almost half a century to 1962. In a single analog channel to multiple digital
its first three decades, TV broadcasting ones. Collectively, they now provide 16
was monopolized by three terrestrial digital channels.
stations—Taiwan Television Enterprise 臺 The central government has enacted
灣電視公司, the Chinese Television System a digital convergence development plan
(CTS) 中華電視公司 and China Television to promote the popularization of digital
Co. The industry has become highly di- TV. Besides planning to terminate analog
versified since 1993, when multi-channel terrestrial TV’s broadcasting by 2012
cable and satellite television system op- and encourage the production of high-
erators and content providers officially definition content-rich TV programs, the
entered the market. Competition further government will subsidize low-income
intensified with the launching of two ad- families, who at that time have not re-
ditional terrestrial broadcasters—Formosa placed analog TV sets with digital ones,
Television 民間全民電視公司 in 1997 and to install digital-to-analog converters.
the nonprofit Public Television Service
(PTS) in 1998. Cable Television
The Taiwan Public Television Service As of June 2011, a total of 107 satel-
Foundation 公共電視文化事業基金會 is a lite broadcasting program providers
nonprofit organization whose mission is offered 281 satellite channels. The term
to serve the public interest, uplift national “satellite broadcasting business” as used
broadcasting standards, as well as safeguard in Taiwan’s Satellite Broadcasting Act
freedom of expression and access to knowl- designates both retail direct broadcast
edge while enhancing cultural and educa- satellite platform operators and wholesale
tional development in Taiwan. Funded by cable television linear channel content
the government and the private sector, it providers distributing their programming
is mandated to operate as an independent via satellite to cable television system
institution free of political interference. operators. Cable TV is overwhelmingly

216


Presenters
appearing on the
Taiwan Indigenous
Television channel.

preferred to terrestrial television, as newsgathering vehicles for live coverage
Taiwan’s mountainous terrain and of important events and breaking news,
high-rises in urban areas often result in were the most watched.
poor reception. National Communications In July 2011, the NCC approved the
Commission (NCC) 國家通訊傳播委員會 application of Next TV Broadcasting, Ltd.
statistics show that as of the end of 2010, 壹傳媒電視廣播股份有限公司 for a license to
cable television had an analog household operate an all-news channel on cable-TV-
penetration rate of 64.06 percent with like platforms. In a first, the firm is seeking
5,084,491 subscribers. Cable television to broadcast the channel, called Next TV
system operators—of which there were a 壹電視, via the Internet by cooperating with
total of 62 as of June 2011—typically of- local telecom operators. The channel has
fer subscribers a fixed package of over 90 already become well-known in Taiwan for
analog channels at a monthly rate capped using animation in its news reports.
by regulatory authorities at NT$600 While the bulk of domestically pro-
(US$19). They adhere to more or less duced news programs are in Mandarin,
the same scheme for allocating chan- SET operates an all-Holo channel; the
nel numbers in accordance with different government-funded Hakka TV broadcasts
programming categories while ensuring in the Hakka language; and TITV, also
access to public-interest programming. publicly funded, serves Taiwan’s indig-
According to an April-May 2008 enous communities.
survey commissioned by the NCC, news Widely carried foreign film channels,
channels were the most frequently viewed all of which provide Chinese subtitles, in-
by cable television viewers in Taiwan. In clude Home Box Office (HBO), Cinemax
the same year, a Nielsen survey likewise and Star Movies. Live telecasts of lo-
indicated that news channels had the cal and foreign baseball and basketball
highest ratings among all types of linear league games, along with a wide selection
channels. The domestic news channels of other sports programming, are avail-
TVBS-N, SET 三立, CtiTV and ETTV able on ESPN Star Sports 衛視體育台,
東森, with their large fleets of satellite ESPN and Videoland Sports 緯來體育台.

217


15 Mass Media
Widely carried foreign-origin children’s
channels, meanwhile, include the Disney
where in the past local authorities were
able to set caps on analog subscription
Channel and the Cartoon Network. rates, since local regulators can only set
rates in their respective service areas.
Digital Transition As of December 2010, about 70 per-
The NCC is requiring the cable TV cent of cable system operators provided
industry to move toward full digitiza- digital programming as a premium option
tion and is allowing competition for in addition to their standard packages,
subscribers over a greater number of with 7.7 percent (391,462) of cable TV
service areas than before. An amend- customers subscribing to such service de-
ment to the Cable Radio and Television livered by digital set-top boxes. Of these,
Act approved by the Executive Yuan and 276,984 were digital pay TV subscribers.
pending legislative approval would lift An increasing variety of digital video
the previous limitation of cable system programming is also available via the
operators to their licensed franchise ar- Internet. Chunghwa Telecom 中華電信,
eas in order to spur competition in areas for instance, operates an Internet Proto-
where previously only one operator was col television platform known as MOD
licensed. The NCC is also reserving the (Multimedia on Demand). Pay-per-view
power to set cable television subscrip- movies and other programs are offered in
tion fees at the central government level, addition to a basic channel package.

• Government Information Office: http://www.gio.gov.tw
Related • Central News Agency: http://www.cna.com.tw
Websites • National Communications Commission: http://www.ncc.gov.tw
• Radio Taiwan International: http://www.rti.org.tw
• Public Television Service: http://www.pts.org.tw
• Taipei International Book Exhibition: http://www.tibe.org.tw
• Taiwan Today: http://taiwantoday.tw
• Focus Taiwan: http://focustaiwan.tw

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