Restructuring broadcasting policies in Taiwan: Managing cultural identity in a recently-democratic society (China)

This study examined some of the most commonly cited factors that affect on the reforms of broadcast policies governing developing countries' broadcasting media, and how these factors influence the establishment of cultural sphere in Taiwan. The subjects for this study were key persons from government, educational, economic and television production sectors involved in the planning and implementation of broadcast policies in Taiwan. They included public officials responsible for broadcasting policy, educators and community activists, media policy analysts and television manager and producers.; The data of the study were collected through informant interviewing and document review. Within the Government Information Office, a number of public officials were consulted. Beyond the GIO, other media sources and agencies provided important documentation in the form of surveys and reports. The investigation was carried out in Taiwan over a period of four months between April and August 2004.; The results of this research reveals that in spite of the expectation that television should be used to help foster and promote national culture, Taiwan has not successfully developed and implemented policies to ensure the achievement of this policy goal. The finding of research indicates that the production of domestic television programs are undermined through the colonized private broadcaster, which is part of network of the transnational broadcaster. Despite of the influence of foreign broadcasters over the cultural production, the evidence of case study also shows that the role of civil society group in restructuring television industry is made manifest by resisting the private groups' intervention to broadcasting policy process.; This study has practical implications for the formulation of national broadcasting policies in recently-democratic countries and other countries facing similar dilemmas. The broadcasting policy analysis proposed by this researcher focused in part on the commercialism of foreign television programs, which severely impacts the indigenous culture. In an era of globalization, the preservation of local identity is a challenging goal for broadcasting policy planners since the State tends to be associated with the neo-liberalism of broadcasting industry. After examining some significant broadcasting policy issues, the researcher turned to a discussion of a reasonable broadcasting regulatory framework. Within a situation of global-local nexus, the study concludes that protection of national cultural sphere will be the important policy agenda for both policy makers and researchers for years to come.