Taiwan Broadcasting System’s Yuan-hui Hu

October 2006

By Mansha Daswani

The Taiwanese government
is looking to radically transform the local media sector, which remains one of
the most fragmented television markets in the region. Earlier this year, the government
initiated the merger of two public-broadcasting entities, PTS and CTS, to form
the Taiwan Broadcasting System (TBS). Next year, three other channels, Hakka,
Indigenous and Taiwan Macroview, will also be added to the new entity. The
merger is intended in part to facilitate Taiwan’s transition to digital, with
TBS receiving more than $137 million in financing from the government to build
up its digital terrestrial network. Yuan-hui Hu, TBS’s CEO, tells TV Asia
Pacific about the road ahead.

TV ASIA PACIFIC:
What are the benefits of the merger of PTS and CTS?

HU: We plan
to integrate the news operations and share program resources between PTS and
CTS. For example, PTS’s drama series Dangerous Minds and the documentary Lee Teng-hui are also aired on CTS. We estimate [that we will] lower the total operation costs by about $1 million. Another benefit of the
merger is to enlarge both the transmission and distribution networks.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: What is its role in the Taiwanese television
industry?

HU: TBS provides
the audience with an alternative choice. In terms of digital-TV broadcasting
technology, we will [be the] locomotive for the development of infrastructure,
production skills and programming. We are also playing the leading role in
Taiwan by having co-production projects with international public broadcasters
and hosting events like INPUT 2006 (the International Public Television
screenings and conference), which was attended by more than 1,000 TV
professionals.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: What are your plans for digital terrestrial
television?

HU: Taiwan’s
legislature has passed a budgetary bill to grant PTS $137 million for the
construction of a terrestrial digital-broadcasting platform. The bill includes
HDTV, a second single-frequency network and mobile TV. On January 1, 2007,
three more TV channels, Hakka, Indigenous and the international channel, Taiwan
Macroview, will integrate with PTS and CTS to form a larger public-broadcasting
system under the name of TBS. We also wish to establish four more digital
terrestrial channels [for] art and culture, children and youth, news and
sports, and multicultural channels.

TV ASIA PACIFIC:
What is your programming strategy at TBS?

HU: We have
different programming strategies for various affiliate channels of TBS. For
example, PTS’s remit will focus more on news and current affairs, culture and
education. DIMO (digital mobile TV) will have more information and sports. And
CTS will focus more on drama and entertainment. CTS-IQ will emphasize
continuing education.

TV ASIA PACIFIC:
How does TBS aim to maintain its audience share in a market as competitive as
Taiwan’s?

HU: Like all
other public broadcasters, we are faced with great financial challenges. In
order to keep a significant market share, we are now dedicated to expanding our
financial resources, in the form of more public and private funding, video
sales, facilities rental, etc. And we are still trying to establish a mechanism
of [collecting] license fees to ensure the sustainable development of TBS.
Also, we want more entertainment and sports programming.

TV ASIA PACIFIC: How important are local productions for you? And
international co-productions?

HU: Local
productions take up nearly 90 percent of our programming. We have about 10
percent foreign acquisitions. International co-productions are very limited
right now; they only take up less than 1 percent. So that means we still have
space to grow.

TV ASIA PACIFIC:
What role are you playing in developing the HDTV market?

HU: HDTV is
considered to be the most important part of the island’s digitalization
[strategy]. We will boost the HD production and programming industries by
allocating budgets to in-house productions, commissioned projects,
international co-productions and acquisitions, [focusing on] wildlife, TV
movies, documentaries, sports and cuisine shows.

TV ASIA PACIFIC:
What are your plans for online and mobile content?

HU: We have
established a new-media department. That reflects our emphasis on the
importance of both online and mobile media. We are determined to be more than a
TV group. Providing more interactive platforms and services on the Internet and
DVB-H [mobile TV] will really enable TBS to become a media group instead of
only a TV broadcasting group.

And as a public
broadcaster, we can reach more target groups [within our audience]. For
example, we will launch a service for people to participate as citizen
journalists. Also, we plan to provide online news services. Our goal is to
offer first-hand and impartial information on Taiwan to both domestic and
foreign audiences.