CTS Main Channel

CTS Main Channel is the flagship free-to-air terrestrial television service of the Chinese Television System, one of Taiwan's established broadcast television organizations. It is regarded as Taiwan's third-oldest free-to-air terrestrial television channel, following Taiwan Television's main service and the main channel of China Television. The channel's institutional roots lie in Taiwan's earlier educational broadcasting initiative rather than in a purely commercial television venture. The origins of that initiative date to 1956, when Education Minister Chang Chi-yun proposed creating an educational television service administered by Taiwan's Ministry of Education. Preparatory work began in 1958, including the allocation of studio space at the ministry's headquarters. In August 1961, Education Minister Huang Chi-lu formally established Taiwan's Network of Educational Television, commonly abbreviated as NETV. NETV began broadcasting on February 14, 1962, several months before Taiwan Television's main channel started transmission. The educational service was later closed on February 16, 1970, after the Taiwanese government acquired it for NT$1 billion. In May of that year, an Executive Yuan order proposed creating a third television channel to succeed the former educational service. CTS Main Channel was established on January 31, 1971, as a joint venture between the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Education. Its formal launch took place on October 31, 1971. At the beginning of its service, the channel retained an educational role: from November 1, 1971, it broadcast English-learning classes for two hours in the morning, with a repeat block in the afternoon. Over time, the channel developed into a general-interest broadcaster combining entertainment, news, drama, educational material, and other public-service programming. Its historical identity has been particularly associated with Taiwanese television dramas and with a programming balance described as approximately 60 percent entertainment and 40 percent news. A major institutional change occurred on July 1, 2006, when Taiwan's media-reform framework brought CTS into the Taiwan Broadcasting System, alongside Public Television Service. The reform treated CTS as part of Taiwan's broader public broadcasting structure while permitting it to continue earning revenue through conventional advertising. The change also included a plan to transfer the station's principal studio operations from Taipei to Kaohsiung over a five-year period. The channel subsequently completed a major technical transition. Digital cable operators began moving the service to high-definition distribution in January 2015. CTS adopted a 16:9 presentation format in June of that year, received regulatory approval for its HD upgrade from Taiwan's National Communications Commission in July, and became available in HD on Chunghwa Telecom's MOD platform in August. At 5:00 a.m. on October 1, 2015, its terrestrial signal switched to high definition, making it the second Taiwanese terrestrial television main channel to do so. CTS Main Channel operates as a continuous television service, with ordinary programming scheduled around the clock. Its present brand strategy includes an effort to restore its reputation as Taiwan's drama authority, drawing on the channel's historic association with memorable Taiwanese drama serials. As a terrestrial channel, it remains both a mass-market programming outlet and a nationally significant part of Taiwan's broadcast-media infrastructure.

CTS Main Channel grew out of Taiwan's postwar effort to use television for education. In 1956, Education Minister Chang Chi-yun proposed an educational television service under the Ministry of Education. Preparatory work began in 1958, when studio space was assigned at the ministry's headquarters. The resulting Network of Educational Television was formally established by Education Minister Huang Chi-lu in August 1961 and began broadcasting on February 14, 1962. NETV ended operations on February 16, 1970, after the Taiwanese government purchased it for NT$1 billion. An Executive Yuan order issued in May 1970 called for a third television channel to replace the educational service. CTS Main Channel was established on January 31, 1971, as a joint venture of the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Education. It opened on October 31, 1971, and began carrying English-language instruction the following day, initially scheduling lessons in the morning and repeating them during the afternoon. The channel gradually expanded beyond its educational origins into a full general-interest broadcaster. Its programming mix developed around news, entertainment, drama, and other television formats, while advertising remained an important source of operating revenue. The service became especially associated with Taiwanese drama and later promoted a campaign to reclaim the image of a national drama authority. On July 1, 2006, media reform placed CTS within the Taiwan Broadcasting System, whose other member was Public Television Service. The restructuring gave the channel a public-broadcasting institutional affiliation while allowing it to retain traditional advertising income. It also called for the movement of its principal studio facilities from Taipei to Kaohsiung over a five-year period. The channel's technical development accelerated in 2015. Some digital cable services began offering it in high definition in January. CTS shifted to a 16:9 picture format in June, received National Communications Commission approval for an HD upgrade in July, and moved its Chunghwa Telecom MOD feed to HD in August. Its terrestrial transmission adopted HD at 5:00 a.m. on October 1, 2015, making CTS Main Channel the second terrestrial television main channel in Taiwan to complete that transition. The service continues as a 24-hour terrestrial channel, with its historical educational mission supplemented by news, entertainment, drama, and public-interest broadcasting.

1. 2015High-definition terrestrial transition

   After a series of cable, format, regulatory, and platform changes, the terrestrial signal moved to HD on October 1.

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2. 2006Joined Taiwan Broadcasting System

   Media reform incorporated CTS into the Taiwan Broadcasting System alongside Public Television Service.

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3. 1971CTS Main Channel established and launched

   The channel was established on January 31 by the Ministries of National Defense and Education and opened on October 31.

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4. 1971English-learning broadcasts introduced

   Beginning November 1, CTS aired English-learning classes in morning and afternoon time blocks.

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5. 1970NETV closes and successor channel is proposed

   NETV closed on February 16 after government acquisition, and an Executive Yuan order in May proposed a third channel to succeed it.

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6. 1962Educational television begins broadcasting

   The Network of Educational Television began transmissions on February 14.

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7. 1961NETV formally established

   Education Minister Huang Chi-lu formally established Taiwan's Network of Educational Television, the institutional predecessor to CTS Main Channel.

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8. 1958Preparatory studio work begins

   Studio space was first allocated at the Ministry of Education's headquarters as preparations for educational television proceeded.

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9. 1956Educational television proposal

   Education Minister Chang Chi-yun proposed an educational television service to be operated by Taiwan's Ministry of Education.

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A nationally distributed, general-interest terrestrial television channel with a public-service heritage, a continuing news and entertainment role, and a renewed emphasis on Taiwanese drama.

• CTS Main Channel terrestrial serviceFree-to-air television channel1971

  The channel's core offering is a free-to-air terrestrial television service for viewers in Taiwan. It carries a general-interest schedule built from news, entertainment, drama, educational material, and other programming. The service developed from an educational broadcasting predecessor but later became a broad national television outlet supported in part by advertising.

• CTS Main Channel HDHigh-definition television service2015

  The HD version represents the channel's technical modernization across terrestrial, cable, and IPTV distribution. CTS introduced HD availability through selected digital cable systems in 2015, moved to a 16:9 presentation, upgraded its Chunghwa Telecom MOD distribution, and completed the terrestrial HD transition on October 1 of that year.

• Taiwan's drama authority restoration campaign

  Taiwan

  CTS Main Channel has pursued a positioning campaign intended to restore its reputation as Taiwan's drama authority. The effort draws on the channel's historical role as the home of widely remembered Taiwanese drama serials.

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• 2015Transition to high-definition broadcastingGeneration change

  Television distribution in Taiwan was moving from standard-definition and older aspect-ratio presentation toward digital high-definition services.

  What changed. CTS introduced HD availability on selected digital cable systems, adopted a 16:9 picture format, secured regulatory approval, upgraded its Chunghwa Telecom MOD feed, and switched the terrestrial signal to HD on October 1.

  Aftermath. CTS Main Channel became the second terrestrial television main channel in Taiwan to upgrade its terrestrial transmission to high definition.

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• 2006Integration into Taiwan Broadcasting SystemStrategy

  Taiwan's media reform framework reorganized the institutional position of CTS and brought it into the Taiwan Broadcasting System.

  What changed. CTS joined the system alongside Public Television Service while retaining the ability to generate revenue through conventional advertising. The reform also called for the relocation of principal studio operations from Taipei to Kaohsiung over five years.

  Aftermath. The channel continued operating as an advertising-supported, general-interest broadcaster within a public-broadcasting consortium.

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1. CTS Main Channel
2. Chinese Television System official website