The media have played an essential role in Taiwan’s development, their proliferation and diversity offering opportunity for political debate and cultural creativity. The vigorous press has benefited from a free media environment as evidenced by the fact that Taiwan’s media environment is one of the freest in Asia.
Taiwan has a flourishing publishing industry that releases over 40,000 new titles each year. Its annual Taipei International Book Exhibition attracts hundreds of publishers from around the world, serving as a channel for market information exchange and copyright transaction. There is intense competition among the island’s four major general-interest newspapers, which already face an uphill battle against the Internet, with a steady decline in penetration rate and advertising revenue.
Five analog terrestrial television stations, including the non-profit Public Television Service—and in certain areas, a parallel terrestrial digital television platform with extensions of these channels—reach virtually every household in Taiwan. In addition, cable television programming is available throughout all but the most mountainous areas of the island, usually in a package of approximately 100 analog channels. Taiwanese films have recently begun to enjoy domestic commercial success with the emergence of a new generation of directors, after having won several prizes and much acclaim at international film festivals over the years.
Media Profile (March 2010)
Radio stations: 172
Terrestrial (wireless) television stations: 5
Cable television system operators: 63
TV & radio program production/distribution companies: 6,937
Audio (compact disc, etc.) production companies: 8,497
Satellite broadcasting program providers: 99 (231 channels)
Newspapers: 2,072
Magazines: 6,733
Book publishers: 11,340
Foreign media with correspondents in Taiwan: 71
