New fans wondered why it had taken so long for Taiwan's self-styled "Least Stressful Sound" to begin "soothing away pressure" for listeners in Taipei? Where are those listeners to be found?
"We are on 99.7 [FM], right next to 100." In other words: "close to perfection." This is how Philharmonic Radio Taipei (PRT) debuted on the air, ensuring that listeners would remember where on their FM dials to find classical music all day long. Some even dubbed it "the station for lazy listeners," because with so much good music there is no need to dither over the CD collection or fiddle about changing discs.
The audience for classical music has grown by degrees in the year since the station's launch, and there is now a loyal listenership that ranges from doctors, engineers and media personnel to theater workers and even taxi drivers-some of whom prefer PRT to the call-in shows which are so popular in their trade.
Broadcasting by computer
This cultured new voice on the airwaves is backed by the newest technology. Soft music permeates the Tunghsing Street offices of PRT, and each of the four studios is equipped with a computer monitor and keyboard, with only two reel-to-reel tape machines. The music is stored digitally on disc and played automatically.
Notices for the presenters are stuck to the studio walls, with messages such as: "More music, less talk," and "Please apologize to the listeners at once if you make a slip introducing a piece."
The motto at PRT is: "Bringing the classical into people's lives." With this principle in mind, the station's program schedule is largely organized around the daily routine of urban workers.
Moving with the pulse of life
The morning program "Pink Forest" is aimed at expectant mothers, with gentle music designed to further the pre-natal education of their unborn babies. In the middle of the day, "Lunchtime Concert" gives concert updates, while "Music Palette" fills the afternoon slot with four hours of presenter-free music-the kind of program that nine-to-fivers have on as background. Traffic and weather reports supplement the musical content of the shows that go out during the morning and evening rush hours.
In the evening, "Rossini's Music Kitchen" mixes music with cookery instruction; "From Place to Place" leads listeners in the footsteps of musicians among the ancient music cities of Europe; and "Chamber Chat" features stories from the lives of musicians. Jazz takes over after midnight, to accompany night owls through the small hours.
Come the weekend, "heavyweight" music in the form of opera programs and recordings of classic concerts takes up part of the schedule, although some of the shows have been "taken over" by alternative kinds of content. In "Electronic Circus," for example, creative young composers introduce their own works, while the program "World Jungle" features ethnic music from around the globe.
Classical music accounts for around 70% of the station's total programming output, with jazz, new age and world music filling the remaining 30%. "We only say no to pop music," says program director Edith Kuo.
It takes a specialist station to offer musical fare of this nature. In Taipei, where music listenership is constantly growing, and where tens of thousands of avid fans turn out to see Jose Carreras, one of the "Three Tenors," the only surprise is that it took so long for a classical music station to appear.
Meeting music on the air
"We did in fact hold a seminar several years ago to discuss setting up a specialist station," recalls Kuo Chih-hao, Editor-in-Chief of Music and Audiophile magazine. Classical music came into vogue around nine years ago with the opening of the new National Concert Hall. The idea drew support, but everyone knew that with the strict controls on radio that were still in place it was "technically impossible" to open up a new station.
News, drama and pop music were the staples of Taiwan radio, and there were very few programs featuring Western classical music. The well-known newsman Chang Chi-kao worked hard to promote classical music in the 1960's with his Broadcasting Corporation of China (BCC) program "On Air Concert," and classical music could also be heard nightly in Taiwan on the US Armed Forces radio. The music also featured in another BCC show, "Music Style" presented by Chao Chin, which is still on the air three decades later.
In those days, enthusiasts listened to classical music records re-released in Taiwan on the Pine-and-Bamboo label, and read Shao Yi-chiang's translated articles on famous Western classical compositions, or listened to music at the audio-visual Library run by Hong's Foundation for Education and Culture. It was not until 1978, when Hsu Po-yun founded "New Aspect", that foreign performers began coming to Taiwan in numbers.
The idea of founding a specialist music station back in "those days" may have been over-optimistic, but classical music did nevertheless have a hard core of aficionados. To Chang Chi-kao, classical music is "utterly exquisite, and extremely precious." Chuang Yu-an, a long-time music fan, appreciates the fact that listening to the radio is free and saves you having to purchase all the latest recordings. "When can we be like music listeners in Europe?" he asks, "where it is better to have a good hi-fi tuner than a good turntable, enabling us to hear new issues in their entirety on the radio?"
Rivalling major cities abroad
Chuang's wish began to come true last year. Since 1993 the government has been implementing the eight-phase release of restricted, military-held radio frequencies. Nearly 120 stations have already obtained preliminary permits to operate local-range medium- and low-strength services, and 18 have formally commenced broadcasting.
PRT obtained one of the second wave of medium-strength transmission licenses, and was formally launched in November 1995. The station can be received throughout the greater Taipei area, and as far afield as Keelung and Taoyuan.
Classical fans are delighted that the medium for their favorite music has evolved from the fixed-time programs of yesteryear to today's dedicated FM station. "Whoever dares to step forward deserves applause," comments Kuo Chih-hao. This is particularly so in the case of a minority interest like classical music, which accounts for less than 10% of the music market-its appeal is to the "handful of people at the tip of the pyramid." In the pop music industry, a disc must sell at least 100,000 copies before the champagne is cracked open, whereas in classical music, "just 1000 copies counts as a bestseller" according to Lin Fang-ju, of the Classical Music Planning Department at Polygram Records in Taiwan.
In fact, classical music cannot compete with pop anywhere in the world-even in Salzburg there are more fans of pop music than of Mozart. On the other hand, it is possible to tune into at least one classical music radio station around the clock in many of the world's major cities: BBC Radio 3 in London, Radio France in Paris, WQXR in New York and NHK in Tokyo. "Now people in Taipei at last have the same good fortune," says a gratified Ma Shui-lung, Professor of Music at the National Institute of Arts.
The boss can't read music
This was precisely one of the reasons for the establishment of PRT. "Greater Taipei is an international conurbation. It would be inexcusable for the city to lack even a single classical music station," remarks Dave Hsia, the CEO at Philharmonic Radio Taipei. This is especially true when considering that according to statistics, classical music has a bigger audience in Taipei than anywhere else in Taiwan.
The main reason that Dave Hsia "dared" to set up a classical music station, however, was his background in broadcasting-he is a consummate media professional with an impressive resume that includes experience in magazines, newspapers, television, media planning and teaching. His "rebellious streak" has always driven him to seek out new challenges, such as setting up the new classical music station.
There are those who object to Hsia on account of his lack of professional background in music, and regard PRT as simply a commercial product of the media. For Hsia, however, the station is a new vehicle for promoting music rather than just being a service for people already involved in music.
"Perhaps I'm no expert in music, but I reckon I score a passing grade overall for integrating broadcasting, marketing, computers, music and technology," Hsia asserts. There has been a similar experience in Britain, where marketing expertise has helped the station Classic FM to grow rapidly, breaking the grip of the BBC classical station on its loyal listenership and, in the process, becoming Europe's largest commercial radio station. "Their CEO can't read music either," points out Hsia, who admits to never having had a music lesson in his life.
Paul Hou, of National Chengchi University's Department of Radio and Television believes that PRT has a well-defined position in the market, unlike previous stations, and satisfies a particular market demand. This is something that needs to be considered in the light of the current re-shuffling in Taiwan's radio market.
Offering a different voice
Competition has been intense since the radio market was liberalized, and it has become particularly important for stations to differentiate themselves by targeting certain audience sectors.
The new stations place heavy emphasis on market positioning. The Voice of Taipei, for example, which won the first medium-strength transmission franchise, has a virtual lock on students and nine-to-fivers in the Taipei area, while the pop station KISS 99.9 in Kaohsiung is targeted mainly at young people.
Many new stations do, however, opt for the general approach, and "still want to swallow the whole market," observes Jennifer Hong, director for marketing and planning at PRT-whereas PRT aims to be a genuine "new station" rather than simply a "new" old-style station.
Another feature of PRT, in addition to its focus on classical music, is that it is designed for adults: mainly middle-class listeners in the 25-to-59 age bracket. "Market research shows that many people in this category feel that the radio offers nothing for them to listen to," says Jennifer Hong. Call-in shows rule the airwaves, and a scan through the frequencies finds either heated political commentary or gossipy youth shows, neither of which is music to the ears of much of the city's working population.
Amid the clamor of voices on the airwaves, PRT is the one that wants to be known for "less talk and more music," so that it lives up to the claim of being "Taiwan's least stressful sound."
Statistics show that music programs are what Taipei listeners want most, which is why BCC's round-the-clock music network has maintained such high listening figures throughout the seven years since its inception. The BCC music station mainly plays light music and Western pop, however, "not quite the thing" for classical music fans.
Standing on the shoulders of giants
In order to establish itself as a bona fide new radio station, and in addition to targeting a specific audience sector, PRT also aims to "stand on the shoulders of giants," using the power of technology to magnify its own influence.
The Internet is a big trend in radio at the moment, and PRT was one of the first stations to establish an Internet presence, making music updates and information on classical music CDs available for Chinese people throughout Taiwan and even abroad.
During its first year, the PRT home page has had over 350,000 hits, including visits from Chinese "listeners" in South Africa who followed and were greatly moved by the station's "Poems on the Bus" program, made in conjunction with Taipei City Government.
Now that the station has passed its first birthday the Internet function is being upgraded, so that computer users anywhere can listen to PRT 24-hours-a-day, by means of a soundcard and speakers-which almost renders the station's medium-strength transmission limitation an irrelevance.
Too highbrow?
Although it broadcasts 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, PRT operates with a staff of barely 30 or so people-all of whom wish for more heads and hands to work with.
As the staff put it: "We say we are Taipei's least stressful station, but it feels as if all the pressure is in here." Dave Hsia, "the Boss," feels that PRT is like any other small or medium-sized business in Taiwan: "doing things the totally local way, and relying on everyone to pull their weight."
The radio station is a privately owned enterprise, without corporate backing, and was formed by a group of middle-class investors. Elsewhere in the world 80% of classical music stations are either state-run or have some government support. They have no advertising pressure, and may even run their own orchestras and venues, or publish CDs. For a privately run station like PRT there must then be concerns about its ability to survive-will it end up as a highbrow station that no-one listens to?
One reason that everyone likes PRT is apparently the fact that "there are not many commercials," laughs Jennifer Hong of the station's Marketing and Planning Division. Turning serious, she adds that this is perhaps because the adverts blend in so well with the programs, giving the impression that they are not adverts at all.
Continues Hong: "We run the station as a product, and almost all of the firms that work with us have the same emphasis on professional image as we do." In addition to the standard forms of cooperation with record companies, the station frequently links up with television and the press, and with partners in different sectors of the economy. It might jointly sponsor a concert in partnership with a bank, or present lectures on overseas travel in conjunction with a tour operator, thereby linking music with specific events and activities.
On the financial side, the station began breaking even after its first six months on the air, and it is currently making a moderate profit. "We can be sure the station won't fold," says a relieved Dave Hsia, before resolutely adding: "It'll be around for at least fifty years."
Bringing music down to earth
Financial pressures may have eased somewhat, but a different kind of pressure is building up in its place-from the listeners. In Dave Hsia's view, classical-music listeners have a high degree of station loyalty, as "their ears are averse to impure sounds." The difficulty for the station lies in striking a balance between the listeners' "exalted ethical scrutiny" on the one hand, and the commercial imperative of the market on the other. "Whenever I want to slip my ideals quietly into a pocket people immediately shout at me: 'Get them out!'"
Yang Chung-heng, the editor-in-chief of Music Era, feels that PRT falls short of his ideal for a classical music station, because it doesn't invite participation from people actually involved in music, and doesn't arrange its programs in accordance with the ideals of such people. His ideal station would be a music information center, offering programs that are educational as well as worthy of appreciation.
PRT did initially try running interviews with foreign musicians overseas, and live concert reviews, but these were later "killed" by personnel and budgetary constraints.
Classical music may only appeal to a small minority, but it is a minority which is itself divided, and while experts become exasperated by a presenter who talks too much, beginners still want to be given more information.
As Chuang Yu-an explains: "Taiwan is different from Europe, where classical music is part of life and where the presenter sometimes has only to name the piece before playing it." Listeners in Taiwan, in contrast, still need more knowledge about classical music.
Dave Hsia points out, however, that PRT is ultimately a part of the media, and not a school or a music class. His hope is that the station can shatter some of people's stereo-types about classical music, taking it "down from the clouds" and bringing it closer to people's lives.
New presenters, new people
For this reason, the voices you hear on PRT are not always those of out-and-out "professionals," and many of the station's presenters stumbled into the job inadvertently.
Conrad Hsing, host of the morning show "Green Boulevard," studied law at college, but has also played the violin since he was a child. Shih-Chao Li, an engineer at the station who is in charge of network design, has over 5000 CDs at home, and presents a show that introduces new CD issues. Lei Kuang-hsia, who studied Broadcasting Technology at college, joined the station as a computer operator but now hosts her own program. As a singer herself, she invites other young musical talents onto the show to demonstrate their art.
For most of the presenters this is the first time they have worked in a studio, which is why they tend to have idiosyncratic radio voices, unlike the silky tones of the professional broadcaster.
Musicians are people too
One of the PRT voices that makes a strong impression is that of Zoe Huang, a vocalist herself, who speaks six languages. Every evening on the show "Chamber Chat," Huang marks the birthdays of celebrated musicians by playing their music and talking about their lives.
Listeners are sharply divided about the merits of Huang's program, which has led to arguments conducted over the Internet. Some can't stand her rapid-fire delivery, and feel that program-presenting is no excuse for flaunting verbal virtuosity. In contrast, others feel that Huang's explications have helped them understand that even great musicians "are people too," and some have gone on as a result to attend classical music concerts for the first time in their lives.
"In Taiwan there is more of an emphasis on things that relate to people," says the jolly-looking Huang. "In the vegetable market, for example, if the stall-holder knows you she'll charge you a little less." Huang feels that the same applies to music: "The verbal explanation helps bring abstract musical notes to life." Listeners sometimes phone in asking about a piece of music that was played, and although they can't remember the title, they know, for example, that "it was the piece that Schumann wrote for his wife."
Reforming education by radio
If "people" are Zoe Huang's key to the music, "rational thinking" is the starting point taken by another of the station's popular presenters, Peng Kuang-lin. Peng is himself a violinist who teaches at Soochow University's Department of Music, and earned his PhD in music performance (only the seventh of its kind in the world) at New York City University.
Liu Chu-wei, professor of music at the National Institute of Arts, believes that while classical music can be enjoyed as simple background music, listening properly requires rationality and thought, and "cannot be 'stress-free.'"
Back in Taiwan for only two years, Peng complains: "Music education in Taiwan only teaches the students how to memorize scores, and not how to think. But without a foundation in rational thinking it is easy to lapse into sentimentality or unintelligi-bility."
For Peng, presenting a music program on the radio is much like teaching in school, in that both are forums for "educational reform." In his show "What Music Is" Peng refers to master scores and plays many CDs, including different versions of the same piece, in order to illustrate how interpretations vary among musicians. If the situation calls for it he will even demonstrate his point on the violin.
"I never anticipated that a serious program like this would get such a good reaction," confesses Peng, the pleasure in his eyes shining through his thick spectacles. Chang Keng-yu, president of Fumao Records, thinks the program is superb, noting that it enables even beginners to spot the differences between alternative versions.
Chinese classical music?
According to Ma Shui-lung, Professor of Music at the National Institute of Arts, if PRT is to be a specialist music station for Taiwan, it "shouldn't just broadcast Western music." His gripe about the station is not so much that it is short on educational programs, as that it lacks any systematic introduction and appreciation of works by Chinese composers, and composers from Taiwan in particular.
There are also those who have heard enough versions by foreign performers and want to hear how Chinese musicians interpret Western works."How do the Chinese regard classical music? Is there classical music in Taiwan that we could be thinking about?" Lin Ku-fang, director of the Art and Culture Research Center at Nanhua College of Business Administration feels that these questions bear consideration. Taking it a step further we may ask: can Chinese classical music be played on the radio, giving listeners the opportunity to hear the music of the erhu and the suona?
PRT program director Edith Kuo says that this is already included in the station's planning, but that it will take time to introduce, "moving ahead step by step."
In the near future PRT will add more depth to its programming content. Peng Kuang-lin feels that there are still large areas for the station to explore: "If musical form, instruments, and music history can be integrated together, then there is well over three years of programs in that alone."
The station is also on the point of setting up a full-scale radio orchestra, to be conducted by Peng. He explains that during the first two or three years the orchestra will mainly give outdoor concerts, acting as the station's "spokesperson" at the same time as giving music graduates an opportunity to perform.
Refinement meets mass culture
When "Taiwan's least stressful sound" began being heard, it answered many people's hopes. The station's very existence is a factor of the needs of society as a whole, and not the product of a presenter or a radio company.
Just as Chang Chi-kao emphasizes, promoting music is indispensable to the process of raising the quality of life throughout society, because music "works within people to improve their abilities of thought, appreciation and orderliness." Many people, regardless of how they feel about classical music, recognize that raising the "quality" of the nation is something that begins within people themselves.
We must now simply wait to see what sort of reactions will be stirred by this encounter between the mass medium of radio, and the refined realm of classical music.
p.101
A series of provocatively headed posters for Philharmonic Radio Taipei, designed to change the image of classical music by emphasizing that what is "classical" today was once considered "populist" or even "subversive," and still has contemporary application.
p.102
The staff at the station joke that in the process of producing "Taiwan's least stressful sound," they become the point where all the stress is concentrated. Little wonder that they are having such fun together in this picture. (Station CEO Dave Hsia seated in the center.)
p.105
PRT engineer Li Shih-chao has a collection of over 5000 CDs, and doubles up as the presenter of a show introducing new CD issues.
p.106
Zoe Huang, who talks about musicians and their lives in her show "Chamber Chat," is an international-award-winning vocalist who studied in the US.
p.107
Peng Kuang-lin, associate professor of music at Soochow University, presents "What Music Is," one of PRT's most popular programs. His show emphasizes musical education, and he sometimes demonstrates his points on the violin.
p.109
PRT runs frequent activities designed to boost its profile and give listeners more opportunities to participate. The avidly listening children in this picture are at a storytelling event that the station ran in conjunction with Eslite Bookstore, for the program item "Bedside Stories for Children."
Zoe Huang, who talks about musicians and their lives in her show "Chamber Chat," is an international award-winning vocalist who studied in the US.
Peng Kuang-lin, associate professor of music at Soochow University, presents "What Music Is," one of PRT's most popular programs. His show emphasizes musical education, and he sometime s demonstrates his points on the violin.
PRT runs frequent activities designed to boost its profile and give list eners more opportunities to participate. The avidly listening children in this picture are at a storytelling event that the station ran in conjunction with Eslite Bookstore, for the program item "Bedside Stories for Children.".
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