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Published: January 4, 2007
In an effort to publicize the fireworks show held at the world's tallest building, Taipei 101, to mark the entrance of a new year, the Government Information Office (GIO) commissioned cable television channel TVBS to transmit pictures of the countdown to midnight via international satellite. Initial information indicates that 19 media sources, including CNN and Fox News in the United States, the BBC from the UK and EuroNews, from 10 nations picked up the feed and broadcast the footage of the events in Taipei on their news programs. EuroNews and other networks also made special introductions about the Taipei 101 building in their programming, making mention of it as the world's tallest building. The coverage shows the importance of the Taipei 101 New Year's Eve celebrations in the eyes of the international mainstream media.
GIO Minister Cheng Wen-tsang said that the events held at the world's tallest building in Taipei to welcome in the new year were a prime opportunity to promote the image of Taiwan and raise international visibility for Taipei. He said that this was the second year in a row that the GIO cooperated with the media in internationally broadcasting the countdown to midnight at the Taipei 101 building and the ensuing fireworks show. The TVBS television station was given the responsibility of airing the events starting at 11:50 p.m. on December 31, 2006 and ending 20 minutes later at 12:10 a.m. on January 1, 2007. The countdown and the fireworks show was broadcast via satellite hook-up and was offered to television stations throughout world for download and re-broadcasting free of charge. The GIO instructed news-related departments in ROC offices overseas to provide assistance to local networks in engaging in real-time download of the events.
Minister Cheng said that in addition to having overseas offices work with local media sources in airing the New Year Eve celebrations and fireworks show, the GIO also employed the Internet in broadcasting the events. Immediately after the countdown and fireworks show, the GIO posted a video of the events on the internationally renowned YouTube website. Internet enthusiasts throughout the world then had the opportunity to browse the clip, and it was quite popular.
Initial data indicates a number of important international television stations and news agencies broadcast the Taipei 101 fireworks show. In the United States, broadcasters included CNN, Fox News, ABC, the Weather Channel, NY1 of New York City, and Channel 12 in Fort Lee, New Jersey. In Europe, EuroNews, French language channels 1 and 2 in Belgium, Austria TV, France 24, and the BBC and Sky News of the UK aired the events. CTV Newsnet of Canada, Australia Broadcasting Corp., CNNI of the United States, Channel News Asia from Singapore, and Korea's KBS were several of the other television networks broadcasting the celebrations, enabling people around the world to view the spectacular fireworks show held at the world's tallest building.
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