The Ministry of Culture has been under criticism after it asked the Public Television Service to execute English video program project. Despite heated debate, the PTS board meeting passed the project by 11-4.


The Public Television Service (PTS) called a extraordinary board meeting to discuss the English program platform project initiated by the Ministry of Culture. Its pilot project, budgeted at NT$45 million under the second budget reserve from the Executive Yuan was passed by 11-4 despite heated debate.

Board members who voted against the project said that PTS must stay at arm's length away from the government to maintain impartiality. They said the current Public Broadcasting Act does not mandate PTS to engage in "international broadcasting". Furthermore, the board members also said they have been kept in the dark about the four-year, NT$5.8 billion "international video platform" project.

The members of the board were not aware of this massive project. The General Manager even said this project happened during June 18th and July 16, when in fact the plan had started back in mid-May and sent to the Ministry of Culture for review before June 18.

In response to whether PTS is suitable for doing international broadcasting, a scholar maintained that PTS should improve the quality of its films and televisions first before engaging in international broadcasting. For example, NHK of Japan and BBC of the United Kingdom each has around NT$200 billion a year in budget spending while PTS only has a fixed budget of NT$900 million per year. PTS can't make something out of nothing. However, this is also a turning point for PTS to seek more funding from the Ministry of Culture in order to produce quality works before promoting them at international stage.

We think an annual budget of NT$600 million or NT$1 billion is too little. Take other countries for example, BBC of the United Kingdoms, provides quality service to its domestic audiences. Its service to foreign audiences is just an extension of their efforts. It is a good opportunity for us to reflect on whether our budgets for films and televisions are enough. The government needs to provide enough budget so that the television company could produce works that meet the standard goal. We need to review all those things at once.

"A Spray of Plum", an oldie from the famous singer Fei Yuqing, has caused a sensation in European and American countries. It serves as a stark contrast with the Chinese Communist Party's propaganda, which is too deliberate and may not be so effective. Scholars say creative content is king in internet age and Taiwan does not need to use propaganda to foster its positive image. Instead, it should accumulate cultural soft power and discursive power, both take time.



公視27號舉行臨時董事會，討論是否應該接受文化部委託？成立國際影音平台，平台的前導計畫預算為4500萬元，動用到行政院第二預備金，儘管會議氣氛火爆，不過臨時會，還是以11:4表決通過。

反對的董事認為，公視必須和政府有一臂之遙，依照現行公視法的規定，並沒有授權公視進行「國際傳播」，加上國際影音平台後續還有四年58億元的計畫，董事認為他們也被埋在鼓裡。

公視董事/輔大大傳所副教授 陳順孝表示：「所以等於是說，這麼重大的計畫，沒有讓董事會知道。總經理還說，這件事是發生在6月18日跟7月16日之間。可是事實上，5月20幾就已經開始進行，6月18之前，就已經向文化部送案。」

公視的角色適不適做國際傳播？有學者主張，公視應該先壯大規模、做出高品質的影視作品，再來談國際傳播，比較不會被質疑是本末倒置，舉例來說，日本NHK、英國BBC每年各有2000億元預算，但公視每年固定經費只有9億元，巧婦難為無米之炊，不妨藉由這次爭議，向文化部積極爭取應有的經費，做出好的影視作品，觸角自然就會往海外延伸。

政治大學新聞系教授 馮建三表示：「我們認為，（每年)60億、100億元都還算少。其他國家來講，英國BBC，本來國內的觀眾就服務的不錯，所以他對國外觀眾服務，算是延伸。所以利用這個機會檢討，就是說，我們整個電視經費夠不夠，你給他希望達到的目標，是不是你給的預算達不到？這些東西，都要一併檢討比較好。」

「雪花飄飄，北風蕭蕭。」

費玉清老歌一剪梅，最近在歐美爆紅。學者也舉例，中共刻意作的大外宣，效果不佳，反倒是網路串流世代，有創意的內容更能打動人心，學者強調，台灣不見得也要「大外宣」，因為文化軟實力和國際話語權的累積，需要細水長流。