US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI389

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 000389 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR PA/OBS/BS - GEORGE SANTULLI, EAP/PD - ROBERT 
PALLADINO 
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC, KMDR, KPAO, TW 
SUBJECT:  TV CO-OP PROPOSALS FOR TAIWAN (2005) 
 
REF:  UNCLASS STATE 271352 (2004) 
 
1.  THE FOLLOWING, IN DESCENDING ORDER OF PRIORITY, ARE TWO 
CO-OP PROPOSALS FROM AMERICAN INSTITUTE IN TAIWAN/TAIPEI AND 
KAOHSIUNG.  PAS ASKS THAT PROJECTS BE FUNDED IN THE 
FOLLOWING ORDER OF PREFERENCE. 
 
PROPOSAL 1:  PRESS FREEDOM AND THE FCC IN THE U.S. 
 
2A.  AIT/TAIPEI PROPOSES A TV CO-OP WITH A THREE-PERSON CREW 
FROM THE NEWS DEPARTMENT OF TAIWAN'S CHINESE TELEVISION 
SYSTEM (CTS), WITH THE GOAL OF FOCUSING ON THE RIGHTS AND 
RESPONSIBILITIES/RESTRAINTS OF A FREE PRESS.  JUSTIFICATION: 
MPP GOALS - DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM AND PRACTICES, AMERICAN 
VALUES. 
 
2B.  THE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF TELEVISION CHANNELS THE 
23 MILLION CITIZENS OF TAIWAN CAN CHOOSE FROM HAS BEEN 
PHENOMENAL SINCE GOVERNMENT CONTROL WAS LIFTED.  THE THREE 
TERRESTRIAL STATIONS THAT HELD A MONOPOLY ON ALL TV CHANNELS 
UNTIL THE MID 1990S ARE NOW COMPLEMENTED BY - AND COMPETING 
WITH - TWO ADDITIONAL TERRESTRIAL STATIONS AND MORE THAN 150 
SATELLITE AND CABLE TELEVISION CHANNELS (INCLUDING FIVE 24- 
HOUR NEWS CHANNELS).  AS A RESULT, COMPETITION FOR TV 
VIEWERSHIP IS INTENSE - CAUSING NEWS PROGRAMS TO FOCUS 
EXTENSIVELY ON SENSATIONAL CELEBRITY GOSSIP, GRAPHIC 
SUICIDES, BLOODY MURDERS, ETC.  SCANT ATTENTION IS PAID TO 
THE PUBLIC INTEREST.  THE TAIWAN GOVERNMENT HAS PASSED 
LEGISLATION TO CREATE A REGULATORY BODY, THE NATIONAL 
COMMUNICATIONS AND BROADCASTING COMMISSION.  GIVEN THIS 
SITUATION, THE WAY THE U.S. MEDIA AND THE FEDERAL 
COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (FCC) OPERATE COULD SERVE AS A 
MODEL TO HELP TAIWAN DEVELOP A MORE RESPONSIBLE MEDIA 
ENVIRONMENT. 
 
2C.  THE CTS CREW WOULD LIKE TO PRODUCE A SERIES OF SHORT 
REPORTS TO BE AIRED ON THE DAILY EVENING NEWS, IN ADDITION 
TO SEVERAL LONGER (IN-DEPTH) STORIES TO BE BROADCAST ON 
EITHER OF THE TWO CTS NEWS MAGAZINES.  THE CREW WOULD LIKE 
TO GAIN AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT'S ROLE IN 
BROADCASTING THROUGH DISCUSSIONS AT THE FCC AND AT ENTITIES 
CONCERNED ABOUT THE QUALITY OF BROADCAST JOURNALISM (E.G. 
THE POYNTER INSTITUTE).  THESE DISCUSSIONS WOULD BE 
COMPLEMENTED BY VISITS TO THE HEADQUARTERS OF MAJOR U.S. TV 
NETWORKS (E.G. CNN, CBS, ABC, CBS, FOX) TO GET AN OVERVIEW 
OF THEIR NATIONAL OPERATIONS AND TO EXPLORE QUESTIONS 
REGARDING MEDIA RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES IN A DEMOCRACY. 
IN ADDITION, THE CREW WOULD LIKE TO EXPORE THE CHALLENGES 
FACING THE U.S. MEDIA IN THE HIGH-TECH, INTERNET AGE (WHEN 
APPROPRIATE). 
 
2D.  PA/OBS/BS WILL BE ASKED TO ASSIST THE CTS CREW IN 
INDENTIFYING APPROPRIATE CONTACTS AND SITE VISITS FOR THIS 
PROJECT'S INTERVIEWS. 
 
2E.  THE PRODUCER/LEADER FOR THIS PROJECT WOULD BE MR. LAI 
PAI-JEN.  MR. LAI SPEAKS GOOD ENGLISH.  A REPORTER, MR. 
HSIAO CHAO-WEN, WOULD ASSIST HIM.  MR. HSIAO HAS SOME 
ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE IN ENGLISH.  A CAMERAMAN WILL BE 
IDENTIFIED LATER. 
 
2F.  CONTROL OFFICER:  IO NADINE SIAK 
TEL. 886-02-2162-2040; FAX 886-02-2162-2242; E-MAIL 
SIAKNL@STATE.GOV 
 
CONTACT:  FN SHIRLEY LAI 
TEL. 886-02-2162-2037; FAX 886-02-2162-2242; E-MAIL 
LAISSL@STATE.GOV 
 
PROPOSAL 2:  ASSIMILATION AND IMMIGRANT RIGHTS 
 
3A.  AIT KAOHSIUNG OFFICE (AIT/K) PROPOSES A TV CO-OP LED BY 
BISHOP CHOU OF TAIWAN'S PUBLIC TELEVISION SERVICE (PTS) TO 
FOCUS ON US GOVERNMENT EFFORTS TO ASSIST ADULT IMMIGRANTS IN 
ASSIMILATING INTO U.S. SOCIETY, WITH ADDITIONAL REPORTING ON 
U.S. RESPECT FOR MULTICULTURALISM AND IMMIGRANT RIGHTS. 
JUSTIFICATION:  MPP GOAL -- DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM AND PRACTICES, 
AMERICAN VALUES 
 
3B.  THE QUESTIONS OF HOW MUCH RESPONSIBILITY A GOVERNMENT 
SHOULD BEAR FOR HELPING IMMIGRANTS ASSIMILATE TO THEIR NEW 
SOCIETY, AND HOW TO GO ABOUT FULFILLING THAT RESPONSIBILITY 
WHILE RESPECTING MULTICULTURALISM AND IMMIGRANT RIGHTS, ARE 
'HOT' TOPICS IN TAIWAN AS INCREASINGLY GREATER NUMBERS OF 
TAIWAN MEN HAVE TURNED TO SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS AND THE 
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA FOR BRIDES. 
 
3C.  THE PTS TEAM LED BY BISHOP CHOU WOULD LIKE TO CREATE A 
SERIES OF THREE-MINUTE MINI-DOCUMENTARIES FOR PRIME-TIME 
BROADCAST.  THEY PROPOSE TO VISIT SEVERAL STATES TO COMPARE 
AND CONTRAST HOW DIFFERENT STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS 
HANDLE ADULT IMMIGRANT EDUCATION. 
 
3D.  PA/OBS/BS WILL BE ASKED TO ASSIST THE PTS CREW IN 
INDENTIFYING APPROPRIATE CONTACTS AND SITE VISITS FOR THIS 
PROJECT'S INTERVIEWS. 
3E.  THE REPORTER/PRODUCER FOR THIS PROJECT IS BISHOP CHOU. 
MR. CHOU SPEAKS FLUENT ENGLISH AND IS AN EXPERIENCED 
JOURNALIST/DOCUMENTARIAN WITH A SPECIAL INTEREST IN 
IMMIGRATION ISSUES.  IN 2003, HE PRODUCED A DOCUMENTARY ON 
THE DUTCH GOVERNMENT'S PROGRAMS AIMED AT ASSISTING CHINESE 
IMMIGRANTS; IN 1997, HE PRODUCED A DOCUMENTARY ON HONG KONG 
IMMIGRATION.  MR. CHOU HAS WON NUMEROUS TAIWAN JOURNALISM 
AWARDS, INCLUDING THE "GOLDEN WHEEL AWARD" IN 1994 FOR HIS 
COVERAGE OF KAOHSIUNG CITY ADMINISTRATION. 
 
3F.  CONTROL OFFICER:  IO NADINE SIAK 
TEL. 886-02-2162-2040; FAX 886-02-2162-2242; E-MAIL 
SIAKNL@STATE.GOV 
 
CONTACT:  FN BEATRICE LIN 
TEL. 886-07-238-7744; FAX 886-07-238-5237; E-MAIL 
LINBMC@STATE.GOV 
 
PAAL