According to the data of the Red Wood Market Research Center, over the last three months the percentage of TVs tuned to the evening news in the Taiwan area has been between 70 and 76%, up ten points from two or three years ago. Indeed, at most times, the news is not far behind the prime time programs.

The main reason for the expansion of the viewing audience is that the news environment has itself become much more dynamic. The reforms of the last three years have spurred people's "hunger for news," as the journalism textbooks say. The rapid pace of change--this morning's news is different by the evening--naturally strengthens viewer motivation.

Changes in the other media have also sparked greater expectations for TV. Especially the newspapers: Yang Chih-hung, chairman of the Department of Mass Communication at Ming Chuan College, points out that since the lifting of the ban on new papers and the increase in pages, there is both more quantity and more quality. Readers can't help thinking, "Get with it, TV news."

The television stations have seen this coming, and have taken steps. This is most apparent at Chinese Television Service, which, under Sherman H. Huang, manager of the News Department, undertook a massive overhaul last year, including: broad turnover in personnel, and a staff increase from 50 to 150; recruiting of a large batch of active, under-25 reporters; and the establishment of programming, editing, and broadcasting sections.

The news itself also got a new look: a sophisticated opening sequence; news briefs and highlights before the main broadcast; a faster pace for anchorperson Lee Yen-chiu (who retains, however, her adorable smile); a breakthrough in the sequence of stories (policy news is not always at the top); more focus on consumers, the environment, and other issues of immediate concern to people; and even occasionally spots from the lighter side of life.

Under this determined shaping, by March of this year, CTS did the earth-shattering: it overtook Taiwan Television, the doyen of Taiwan's television stations. It has maintained an audience of 26-30%, neck and neck with TTV.

The other stations are moving to reinvigorate themselves. The general manager of news at China Television Company and the department chief and assistant chief at TTV have all been changed. Both have been sending people abroad for advanced training and investing in new equipment.

These steps have turned TV news into news. Among the stories: when president Lee Teng-hui went to Singapore, the three stations took to the microwaves, each calling their reports "exclusive"; the competition for rights to broadcast the Asia Cup basketball tournament led to an agreement to show sports events on a rotating basis; agreement has also been reached on fixing the starting time for news, so no one gets the jump.

The three have independently moved in the same direction to expand total news time. Besides the noon and evening news, there is news in the mornings and late night, with the time longer than the accustomed half-hour. News magazine programs have increased from three to five since last year.

The burgeoning competition has also had it's side-effects. At Chinese New Year, CTS broadcast President Lee Teng-hui's New Year's message in Mandarin and Taiwanese, in two parts, sandwiched around other news. This brought complaints about disrespect for the President.

In early March, TTV broadcast a headline story about the sexual problems of mentally retarded children creating a potential crisis for society. Many groups believed this did not respect the human rights of the handicapped. Because this came on the second day after the announcement that CTS had passed TTV, many connected it to the ratings war.

On April 4, six men implicated in killing a police officer were executed. CTS waited five days to film their last meals, the injection of anaesthetic and the execution by firing squad, and broadcast it on the evening news. This drew protests from heads of households worried about the effects on children.

But has the substantive content of the news changed? What kind of role does news about sex and violence play in the ratings war?

Many have an upbeat answer. Yang Chih-hung thinks news directly related to people's lives has increased, and "at least the president isn't always the top news story." Shao Ching-wen, writer on television for the Independence Evening Post, believes that "The degree of commitment of reporters to the news has clearly increased."

Of course there are other voices. The Independence Evening Post's Kuo Li-hsi believes that the battles between the networks are fought out on the fields of form and packaging; sound and fury, but with substance signifying . . . not enough. He believes the specifications of those in charge is the basic problem. And Peng Yun, Professor of Journalism at National Chengchi University, believes that the battle for ratings has caused the news to "stress the domestic, underplay the international, stress Taipei, underplay the localities." This is not a good sign.

Yang Chih-hung points out that the fun damental way to solve this problem is to extend the time for the important news stories, such as the one or one-and-a-half hours in the U.S. and Japan. Another is to have news "on the hour," like radio stations.

This raises another point. What kind of style should important news have? Peng Yun is concerned about the current trend of the popularization of the news by the three stations. She says that principles of news call for both hard and soft. Some things are very serious, and must be treated so. The eternal point which can't be overlooked is that news with great power to influence must have deeper explanation and analysis.

Can TV avoid being one-sided and superficial? Broadcasting scholars are pessimistic.

A report on US and world news published three years ago noted that TV news is drama and has its entertainment side--that is to say its nature is images. Things not suitable for handling in images is often overlooked. "Like the Japanese economic takeoff," the report said: "Because it was not suitable for handling in pictures, previously America knew nothing about it."

Because time is short, each story gets only about a minute. There is no way to provide the ins and outs of a story. TV news must have pictures, but pictures only tell part of the facts. "It is like the blind men and the elephant," says Yang Chih-hung, advising that viewers must be psychologically prepared for the fact that "TV news just provides a few clues, that does not mean it's the big picture."

Many are concerned that the special feature of TV is to add impact to a few images that are "eye-catching." This causes the medium to tend toward sex and violence, as in the recent coverage of Hsu Hsiao-tan's nudity. Peng Yun is critical: She says that although reflecting society is an academic ideal, the closer TV news gets to it the better. "Since there aren't girls taking off their clothes all around the streets, then TV shouldn't repeatedly stress it." The coverage of the violence in the Legislative Yuan--letting people wonder: is the Yuan constantly having fights?--is a classic case of "TV bias."

TV people can't help but feel "everybody's a critic." But it doesn't seem so hard to set a standard for a good news program. One reporter, talking as a viewer, says, "What we are concerned with is whether TV news is distorting the facts of society, and does it have a specialized responsibility toward the news? Is it good for the development of the country and society?" Naturally the TV wars will go on. Only what we have to look out for is: what's being won?

[Picture Caption]

TV news is more worth watching, and the dedication of its practitioners is a key reason. The photo is taken at the Chenlang Temple located in Tachia, Taichung County.

Molding the anchorperson's authority? The problem is whether one has experience and dedicated management or not. The photo shows CTS and CTV anchorpersons Hsi Sheng-lin (left) and Tung Chung-pai (right).

Television is a combination of technology, judgement and skills. The main control room is a key link in the technical chain.

Talented persons are the foundation of success-- whether TV news gets better or worse depends entirely on these people.

For TV news, everything rests on the pictures to tell the story. The tape player, recorder, and other major items on the table are indispensible tools.

Molding the anchorperson's authority? The problem is whether one has experience and dedicated management or not. The photo shows CTS and CTV anchorpersons Hsi Sheng-lin （left）

and Tung Chung-pai （right）.

Television is a combination of technology, judgement and skills. The main control room is a key link in the technical chain.

Talented persons are the foundation of success-- whether TV news gets better or worse depends entirely on these people.

For TV news, everything rests on the pictures to tell the story. The tape player, recorder, and other major items on the table are indispensible tools.