Mass Media

◎Broadcasting
construction/ significantly/ programming/ cooperate/ unprecedented
Radio: Prior to 1993, there were only 33 radio broadcasting companies in Taiwan. By 2003, the number had increased to 154, and another 20 were under construction, while 3,217 radio program production companies were registered. The radio broadcasting industry in Taiwan has change significantly since the 1950s, when dramatic, cultural, and children’s radio programs were the primary form of household entertainment. Radio stations have also begun to cooperate with newspapers to deliver the latest news to local audiences as quickly as possible. Television: The past decade has brought unprecedented challenges for Taiwan’s television industry with the establishment of a public television system, increased penetration of cable and satellite broadcasting, and growing popularity of mainland Chinese, Korean, and Japanese drama series. Commercial Television: Taiwan television began in February 1962, when the experimental National Education Television began broadcasting two hours of educational programming each day. Public Television: The Public Television Service (PTS) was established in July 1998, as an independent, non-profit station to serve the interests of the public, raise broadcasting standards in Taiwan, safeguard the public's freedom of expression and access to knowledge, and enhance national education and culture.

◎Motion Pictures
Filmmaker/ introspective/ establishment/
Local filmmakers are best known for introspective and richly atmospheric works that explore social developments and the human condition in Taiwan. The domestic film industry released 21 movies in 2002 and 14 in 2003. In contrast, 222 foreign films and 48 Hong Kong films were distributed in Taiwan in 2003. Taiwan had 186 motion picture screening establishments operating 675 screens. Box office receipts for all movies in 2003 totaled only US$58 million. This decline from previous years was a direct result of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic, which kept people away from crowded public venues like movie theaters.

◎Intellectual Property Rights
competitiveness/ economy
Taiwan has adopted aggressive policies to protect intellectual property rights (IPR) and facilitate research and innovation as part of an overall strategy to foster the local knowledge-based economy and boost global competitiveness.