Taiwan Public Television Service's (PTS) New Year's resolution, it would seem, is to become a media empire.
And the network isn't wasting any time.
Having merged with the Chinese Television System (CTS) -- one of the few domestic terrestrial TV stations -- in July last year, PTS became the Taiwan Broadcasting Service (TBS). But the old name is dying hard.
To further confuse matters, TBS rang in the new year yesterday by announcing that it would absorb three more TV networks: Hakka TV, Indigenous TV and Taiwan Macroview TV.
The grand merger would create a mega-public TV network under the umbrella organization of the original PTS network, TBS representatives said yesterday.
"The merger will generate synergy among the five networks [PTS, CTS, Hakka TV, Indigenous TV and Taiwan Macroview TV] and will enrich public TV programming because it will allow the networks to share material, personnel and other resources, with many shows jointly produced by the networks," TBS Chairman Louis Chen (
"For a network like Hakka TV, which doesn't have many viewers, the merger is going to give it a big boost," Chen added.
PTS CEO Hu Yuan-hui (
"The money will be distributed to the various TBS networks as needed," Hu said.
Government support for the merger, however, is more than just fiscal, as a ceremony to mark the creation of the conglomerate yesterday demonstrated.
Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌), Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) and Overseas Compatriot Affairs Commission (OCAC) Chairwoman Chang Fu-mei (張富美), among other political heavyweights, attended the ceremony to give their congratulations to the new public TV empire.
"On this first day of the new year, we have reached a turning point in the history of public TV in Taiwan," Su said in a keynote speech.
"Our viewers will have more choices and will be able to enjoy increased programming diversity as a result of the merger, which will also further demonstrate to the world and our overseas compatriots Taiwan's diversity and democracy," Su said.
Wang told reporters he hoped the merger would enhance the scope and quality of the nation's public TV to equal that of developed countries like Japan.
Speaking to the Taipei Times after Su's speech, Chang Fu-mei said that the merger would appeal to overseas compatriots, as Taiwan Macroview TV, which caters to such an audience via cable TV and Internet services, would be injected with new resources.
More diversified and interesting programming as a result of the merger would attract more overseas viewers, Chang said.
Taiwan Macroview TV, which receives much of its funding from OCAC, can be accessed via the Internet in China, and enjoys a strong following there, she added.
"The Chinese government isn't blocking the station's Web site in China, as far as we can tell, so this merger will hopefully attract more viewers in China and get the message out about Taiwan's diversity and democracy," the OCAC chairwoman said.
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