Taiwan Today

Radio Taiwan International resonates globally with soft power.
 

This summer and fall Radio Taiwan International (RTI) is yet again demonstrating its creativity with a novel exhibition touring the country from late July through early November. The display showcases audio recordings and accompanying photos solicited from audience members around the world during an event held last year by the Taipei City-based radio station. A total of 224 submissions from 38 countries were entered in the competition inspired by people’s longing for travel amid the pandemic. Titled “Sounds that Move: Travel with Sound Postcards,” the show is exhibiting 40 audio works, with notable selections capturing the din of a crowd in India and chimes from a belfry in Germany.
 

Among radio broadcasters in Taiwan, RTI is uniquely placed to run such a competition thanks to its broad listenership spanning the globe. Supported by the Ministry of Culture, the national radio station broadcasts news and a variety of programs in 14 languages including French, Russian and Thai, as well as Mandarin, Taiwanese, Hakka and Cantonese. “Taiwan needs to speak to the outside world as much as possible,” said RTI chair Cheryl Lai (賴秀如). “If we don’t make our voice heard, why would the rest of the world want to speak up for us?”
 

The station was founded as the Central Broadcasting System in 1928 in the Chinese city of Nanjing. When it relocated to Taiwan along with the Republic of China government after the Chinese Communist Party took full control of the mainland in 1949, the station started broadcasting information intended to influence opinion across the Taiwan Strait. It placed particular emphasis on promoting Taiwan’s pop culture such as the hauntingly beautiful songs of Teresa Teng (鄧麗君), who became wildly popular on both sides of the strait in the 1970s and ‘80s. In 1982 Chinese pilot Wu Rong-gen (吳榮根) defected to Taiwan, and when asked what his top wish was after setting foot in the country, he expressed a yearning to see Teng in person. Like many in China, he had become an avid fan after listening to her music on RTI.

Sphere of Influence

With the expansion of internet access, RTI began to grow its audience base in China and around the world. In 1998 it broadcast news online for the first time, and today all its programs are accessible via the internet, along with news articles, videos and podcasts. That said, radio transmissions still play a crucial role, helping content reach remote areas with poor internet infrastructure. Radio is also capable of penetrating places with strict censorship, as authoritarian regimes find it easier to block internet connections than shortwave radio signals.
 

RTI programs have grown more diverse over the years to attract greater numbers of listeners and more accurately reflect Taiwan’s increasingly pluralistic society. “RTI is a major contributor to Taiwan’s cultural diplomacy. Its productions disseminate the country’s culture and history beyond its borders while demonstrating Taiwan’s belief in the universal values of democracy, freedom and respect for human rights,” Lai said.
 

The high production value programs have garnered acclaim both at home and abroad. In the past two years alone, RTI has been nominated for a total of 23 Radio Broadcasting Golden Bell Awards, the highest domestic honors in the sector, in categories spanning music program, educational and cultural program and radio drama. At the same time, RTI programs shine at international contests like New York Festivals Radio Awards and Association for International Broadcasting’s (AIB) International Media Excellence Awards, also known as the AIBs.
 

Top-performing RTI productions include “Tales in Dutch Formosa,” one of the most internationally renowned English-language radio plays made in Taiwan to date. The 2014 production, which tells the story of a family that travels back in time to Taiwan’s Dutch colonial era (1624–1662), won a special jury commendation at the AIBs and a bronze for best writing at the New York competition. Other AIB-nominated RTI broadcasts have been recognized for inspiring content on Taiwan’s arts and culture as well as in-depth reporting of current events. The most recent RTI production to make waves abroad is “Can Humor Save Taiwan?” The 28-minute program explores how humor is being used by both the public and the government to cope with current challenges and was nominated under the News: Reports/Features: Best Special Report category of the 2022 New York Festivals Radio Awards.

International Outreach

RTI’s success has spawned 17 fan clubs around the globe, with radio show hosts and RTI executives periodically flying out to meet their loyal listeners in person. “A substantial number of people overseas have developed an interest in Taiwan through RTI,” Lai said, recalling her warm experience meeting RTI audience members during a trip to Mexico and Guatemala. Pham Thuy Tuong Vy, host of Vietnamese-language programs at RTI, is also awed by the close bond she feels when interacting with fans. “I’m treated like a trustworthy friend thanks to the reputation RTI has established over the decades. This gives me a great sense of achievement and is my main motivation for working there,” the young woman from Ho Chi Minh City said.
 

RTI has been broadcasting in Vietnamese for nearly 70 years, and the language coverage plays an increasingly important role today as Taiwan is home to many migrant workers and immigrants from Vietnam. The broadcasts additionally support the government’s New Southbound Policy, a key plank in the country’s national development strategy launched in 2016 to strengthen the country’s agricultural, business, cultural, education, tourism and trade ties with 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states, six South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand. “My listeners abroad love to learn about all aspects of Taiwan, from its society and leisure activities to its politics,” she said. “Those living in Taiwan are more concerned with everyday life and the workplace, such as health care services and legal rights for foreigners. They look at RTI as a source of guidance since we provide reliable information in their mother tongue.”
 

For Masha Bailey, editor-in-chief of RTI’s Russian service, her job at the broadcaster has taken on additional significance in light of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The Russian national has invited Ukrainians living in Taiwan to her program to discuss their thoughts on the invasion and share messages sent from people affected by the war that has displaced millions. She also makes Taiwan’s response to the tragedy known to her audiences in Russia, Ukraine and neighboring countries that were once part of the Soviet Union. Bailey sometimes expresses her own anti-war stance on the air as well, despite the criticism it draws from her compatriots back in Russia. “The voices of Ukrainian people and their supporters must be heard as much as possible. I’m grateful to RTI for making that happen,” she said. Since RTI is Taiwan’s only broadcasting ­channel in the language and shortwave radio is especially effective at reaching audiences in war-torn Ukraine, the Russian service began increasing its broadcast range and scope on April 1.
 

Such examples make it clear that radio remains a critical avenue for Taiwan to engage with the world. RTI strives to establish partnerships with international counterparts to enhance its global reach. To date RTI and partners including Voice of America, British Broadcasting Corporation and Radio France Internationale have implemented more than 80 projects. The station also serves as one of the six board members on AIB’s executive committee and takes part in international affairs in collaboration with the prestigious association. To mark its 90th anniversary, RTI co-hosted the 2018 International Conference on Achieving Sustainability in Asia-Pacific and the AIB Asia-Pacific Sustainability Awards ceremony in Taipei. This year the two are cooperating again to organize the AIBs, which is set to be held November 11 in London. “RTI’s mission is to raise Taiwan’s profile on the global stage,” Lai said. “We’re honored to help the country fulfill its immense potential to connect with others around the world through its soft power.” 

Write to Oscar Chung at mhchung@mofa.gov.tw