Taipei's Chinese language newscasts are, for the dedicated news watcher, the equivalent of what the city's justly famous restaurants are for the dedicated gastronome. The recent addition of newscasts via satellite from VIS in London and CBS in New York to the Chinese Television Service (CTS) provides viewers with news fare as cosmopolitan in substance as that offered anywhere in the world.
As the day begins to break - precisely at 5:30 a.m. - CTS' news section begins receiving ten minutes of compressed VIS news dispatched via satellite from London. In less than two hours the news is produced in Chinese and presented to viewers. At 8:30 a.m. CTS begins receiving ten minutes of CBS news via satellite across the Pacific. It is processed and incorporated in the 12:30 cast.
According to Chin Yun-hsiang, CTS news director, the two satellite news services cost the station approximately US$675,000 per year more than the VIS videotape service from Hong Kong. VIS News Agency's branch office in Hong Kong makes tapes from the satellite transmission and sends them by air to Asian subscribers. These tapes arrive in Taipei about 11:00 a.m., in time for the midday news.
Neither Taiwan Television Enterprise (TTV) nor China Television Company (CTV) broadcast in the mornings, so neither have been heavily upstaged by the CTS initiative. CTS, besides morning news, broadcasts a morning "classroom of the air" series, and monopolizes the time period. However, both competitors are quick to praise CTS for jumping the quality of its morning news program. CTS also gains by avoiding in the occasional problems of aircraft-delivery delays or misroutings, and gaining additional time for news processing.
Prepping for the screen - in the end, the report depends on the reporter's knowledge. (File photo)
The other two stations also subscribe to United Press International Television News, receiving tapes around 3 to 4 p.m. These are processed into the 7:30 p.m. casts, offering further content variance from the CTS packages.
Chang Chi-kao, a TV specialist of the Government Information Office (GIO), points out that VIS cooperates with NBC of the U.S., so the subscription to VIS news adds the extra dimension of NBC news.
CTV, founded in 1969, was the first to use VIS news. About six years ago when VIS decided to transmit via satellite, one of its managers, Nick Hutton, came to Taipei to promote direct satellite service to the local TV stations. However, they all decided to stick with video tapes then rather than to fund direct transmission.
About four years ago, CTS' Chin Yun-hsiang and CTS foreign news division chief Ho Hsi-yen organized to receive satellite news, but their plans were aborted due to budget limitations.
Asia is not VIS' major world market; much of its coverage is of little interest in this part of the world. Chang Chi-kao believes that the business relationships with the local TV stations will encourage the English service to provide more intensive Asian coverage.
CTS developed a profound friendship with CBS. According to Chin Yun-hsiang, CBS has helped CTS in covering news in the U.S. of special interest to Taiwan audiences. All three local TV stations however, .reflect that the U.S. networks suffer the handicap of "provincialism." For instance, Asian audiences are not interested in much of the coverage of U.S. domestic news.
The first satellite reception ground station in the ROC was established at the end of 1969. From the following year, both TTV and. CTV have capitalized on its transmission of special events. The most well-known of these here, perhaps, is the live telecasts of the World Series baseball championships.
Taiwan's social structure and mankind's activities combine to make evening news more important to viewers here than morning or afternoon news. That is another reason why, though CTS enriched its morning broadcasts with world news via satellite, the other two stations feel little "pressure." In addition, as many early risers are busy going to work or to school, there is a limited audience for a.m. TV news. The habit of morning newspapers keeps many prospective viewers from the, actually, more up-to-the-minute news of the satellite fed a.m. TV offering. As a further complication, both TTV and CTV broadcast midnight news.
TV news is widely conceded to break down into four distinct categories - feature stories, breaking news, arranged news and in-depth reports.
Over the 20 years since TTV's first broadcast in 1962, it has generally been credited with more balanced, precision coverage based on the four categories, resulting in superior performance. Its editors are now intuitively experienced in absorbing, condensing, editing and translating foreign newscasts. The news section of TTV also works hard to dramatize news presentation. In the past year, for example, the backdrop for its news casts has been changed from TV screens tuned to the three TV stations, to a prescription book display in a study and, now, to a dramatic global image. The weather cast has also changed. These constant movements reflect the youth and vitality of TTV's effort as the industry's original pioneer.
The new machines only provide the material for quality news work. (File photo)
Since it began broadcasting in 1969, CTV has subscribed to VIS news, giving it initial pre-eminence in world news coverage. Its continuous efforts in this regard have given CTV the lead over TTV in total news coverage. It has produced such local news related programs as “Exploration,” “Penetration,” “News Bullseye,” (Taiwan's) “Sixty Minutes” and others. Its evening newscast at 45 minutes is the longest on the three stations. The most recent CTV effort is the resurrection of its midnight news. The two anchormen, Chang Chin and Fang Chieh, present the news in dialogue form, a breakthrough in local news tradition. CTV assigns special reporters to cover events for the midnight news, and is able to keep audience attention with lively, original reports. Special reports on science, and feature stories such as a trip through northern Thailand, help round out CTV's unique nighttime style.
Though CTS news lags in the ratings, it is trying hard to overtake its two competitors. Besides heavy spending on news resources to enhance its reputation, it works hard to establish the images of its anchormen. A demerit is due, though, since CTS receives its satellite news transmissions early enough in the morning, but presents its afternoon news a half hour later than the others. CTV and TTV broadcast midday news at 12 noon, but CTS at 12:30.
In order to attract more news viewers, Chang Chin, news editor for CTV, says that local TV stations must invest even more manpower, time and money into the programs. He recalls that famous U.S. veteran anchorman Walter Cronkite was provided with his own library, and spent much of his time studying background material on the news he would later report.
The GIO's Chang Chi-kao comments that satellite transmission may expedite the flow of news but cannot improve the content or presentation. Training quality newsmen is the most important factor. He argues that only good writers can make good audio presentations, because writing is the best way to sharpen the thought and logic management which go into the best news presentation.
Walter Cronkite was an experienced writer before entering TV, Chang noted. Therefore, he was experienced in in-depth studies of the issues, and was able to win broad audience confidence. Chang believes that good TV reporters cannot be created overnight from charming personalities. Only through conscientious work and unremitting research will top results be achieved.
To further upgrade local TV news, all workers in this field must upgrade themselves, he says. Then the stations must reinforce their equipment and facilities. - translated from the "China Times Weekly"