Then they should make that clear in their mission statement. You should take a look at it, Hobart – they appear to disagree with you on that point.
[quote=“ICRT’s mission statement”]Our primary mandate is to serve the expatriate community in Taiwan[/quote]It says “Libby’s” on the side of a bus, but that doesn’t make it a tin of cream 
Right, so then is it that Forumosa is trying to push ICRT toward following their mandate as currently stated? Or, make them change their mandate to accurately reflect reality.
I think originally, the Forumosan petitioners are looking at doing the former, but that comes head against the business reality of “it ain’t happening”. Since business reality trumps all else, what actually is it that will happen to ICRT? And will/does Forumosa want/care to take part in that transformation?
Stay tuned, there is a part 2…as the Forumosa turns…
I have just read the ICRT petition linked from the top of the Forumosa forums.
While I appreciate the efforts of its sponsors to increase the quality of broadcast news in English, the petition’s stated suggestions for accomplishing these aims are unfair to local broadcasters and not practical to achieve, considering the small size of the audience seeking English news and discussion on the radio. The suggested course of action stated in the petition would also lead to pro-government bias in the English-language programming.
In addition, the needs of Taiwan’s foreign community for news and discussion are already served by several English-language dailies, as well as discussion boards sponsored by Forumosa, Taiwan Ho!, and other Internet sources.
For those who have not read the petition, please refer to its stated aims:
[quote]1. Return to radio programming in English - at least for certain parts of the day, and consider using the familiar 2-person or clubhouse format that is common in drive-time hours in the west
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Provide more on-air discussion of major news stories - there are no alternatives in Taiwan for English talk-radio. This may partly explain why Forumosa.com sometimes views itself not only as an online community about Taiwan, but as a discussion forum about what people in Taiwan talk about.
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Resurrect the community message board, where announcements for the foreign community could be broadcast for free. This would include Taiwan-specific content, like where the best live music venues are and what are on the minds of people in Taiwan (local and foreign)
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Seek funding from the government to support the English language programming hours. This has precedent in the new Formosa TV English news programming
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Conduct cross-promotional efforts with Taiwan-oriented online communities like Forumosa.com that can offer fresh ideas
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Explore and use alternative rating methods to measure ICRT’s effectiveness and reach - it is widely believed that the regular ratings system does not poll foreigners, the very audience that makes ICRT special. GIO English funding could be used to pay for innovative ways to properly and fairly assess ICRT’s true audience
[/quote]
Sorry, but I’m with the pessimists here.
ICRT has been drifting into this current state, an Englishy station to match the Englishy newspapers, for a very long time now. The local population by and large wants the appearance of having an international station, not necessarily the substance. Remember also that people who aren’t learning English often do not like listening to it, so the more Mandarin is in the mix the larger the potential audience becomes. BMG and Rock Records are not going to make much money off of sales of Franz Ferdinand or old Doors hits, so forget about the station deviating from the playlists that the record companies give them.
Westerners are also shrinking in numbers compared to the migrant populations from SE Asia, so expect those musical tastes to be catered to before your own. Face it, ICRT does not need western listeners to survive, and westerners’ tastes may indeed be an impediment to growth in markets which are far larger and more lucrative. Why would any sane businessman bother to cater to a tiny population with such diverse tastes?
I think the one course of action we could reasonably expect from ICRT would be to drop the silly claim to be serving the expat community. That’s been a sham for many years now.
It should obviously be the goal of ICRT to make as much money as possible and that obviously does come from advertisers. If you listen to ICRT it is noticeable that there are fewer advertisers than in the past. Indeed they will have to take their pick, either focus on the English speaking community (both foreigners and locals) which will then aain attract advertisers that want to reach that audience. Or on the other hand they might abandon the “English Speaking Radio Station” concept all together and solely focus on the Chinese speaking audience, of course that would mean much stiffer competition.
There is cure to the whole Problem of course I would add.
:bravo: [b]BRING BACK RICHIE WALKER :bravo:
Cheers!
[/b]
Then they should make that clear in their mission statement. You should take a look at it, Hobart – they appear to disagree with you on that point.
[quote=“ICRT’s mission statement”]Our primary mandate is to serve the expatriate community in Taiwan[/quote][/quote]I remember you pointing that out before and I agree that is misleading and they should live up to their mandate or change it.
Not only should they change there mandate or at the very least indicate they are Taiwanese owned and operated. International Communty Radio should take the Communtiy out of their name.
Just out of curiosity, why do so many of you care about ICRT? Is radio really that important to you?
Klaxon, I’m afraid I have to disagree with you on this; I don’t see any other media that serves the foreign community.
All 3 English papers are not worth the ink they are printed with. Compare any of Taiwan
4nr, Anthony Lawrence hasn’t lived in Taiwan for something like five years.
How come I’m not on the hit list? Trying to hurt my feelings?
By the way, that list of yours is pretty small. There are far more to add, including editors, reporters and photographers.
You think getting them together is the solution? What do you think the Taipei Times did (or tried to do)? It is the Chinese pulling the strings that Fubar things here.
Wolf, I thought I saw his photo just a few months ago in TT regarding their anniversary party? Perhaps it is also John Dietrichs that I am thinking about? (The Sr. Editor for TT, He writes several of the op-ed pieces for the TT).
In any case, I enjoy reading Anthony Lawerence
[quote=“4nr”]
If the government is smart and really understands the importance of marketing, they would have this team be the ones to create the image for Taiwan, [/quote]
Taiwanese people have never understood marketing. That would explain a lot about their image problems.
Proven to everyone but the Taiwanese that they need help. They’re quite proud of their accomplishments and standing. They don’t need any “foreigner help”. They make it a point to make life difficult for foreigners at many levels although certain types always can enjoy some standing. Need I mention immigration policies?
Yes, but maybe it’s congenital.
"About Icrt -
International Community Radio Taipei (ICRT) is operated by the Taipei International Community Cultural Foundation (TICCF), with offices and studios located at 2F, 373 Sung Jiang Road, Taipei.
ICRT officially began broadcasting at midnight on April 16, 1979. The station was formerly the Armed Forces Network Taiwan (AFNT). When the United States announced termination of official diplomatic relations with the R.O.C. in 1978, AFNT, the only all-English radio in Taiwan, prepared to leave the airwaves. This caused grave concern among the foreign community in Taiwan. The president of the American Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Robert P. Parker, announced the establishment of a group of community and business leaders formed for the purpose of saving the station. Its function included fund-raising and negotiating the transfer of equipment so that the station could continue to operate. At the time, then President Chiang Ching Kuo and Executive Premier Sun Yun-Hsuan were keenly interested in this cause. They instructed the Government Information Office to actively provide guidance and assistance in this endeavor. In the end, International Community Radio Taipei took over the broadcast functions of the Armed Forces Network without a break in transmission.
ICRT assumed the official duties of serving the foreign community in Taiwan and forging a cultural link between the Chinese population of Taiwan and the English-speaking residents of the island. ICRT broadcasts from studios in downtown Taipei. There are two broadcast studios, one for FM and one for the News. There are also two production studios where nearly all ICRT’s distinctive programming is produced. We have three 30-kilowatt FM transmitters located in northern, central and southern Taiwan. Our programming is broadcast at 100.7 megahertz from our transmitters in northern and southern Taiwan, and 100.1 megahertz from central Taiwan. ICRT’s programming focuses on music, news and entertainment. Our primary mandate is to serve the expatriate community in Taiwan, which constitutes about 5% of our audience, and to act as a cultural bridge to our local audience, which makes up the other 95%."
The above statement is to be found on ICRT’S website.
“Our primary mandate is to serve the expatriate community in Taiwan, which constitutes about 5% of our audience, and to act as a cultural bridge to our local audience, which makes up the other 95%.”
Much as have been debated on the station’s performance to date, there is no denying that their mission statement has very distinctly included providing service to the general populace of the island.
As a regular listener and one who is in contact with other listeners as well, the general concensus is that the new format subscribed by FM 100 does indeed seem rather ungainly and stilted at times. The songs played, for instance, are not chosen by the individual DJs. Rather, they are scheduled by a ‘program director’, who also includes mandopop into the playlist, to attract more mandarin speakers to try listening to an English station. The newcasters and DJs all try their best to enunciate slowly and clearly as best as they can because they want to be understood by English learners. Native speakers can still hear, without much problem, what is being announced. Evidently there should be some changes made to improve the quality of the programs and make them more polished. But it should aim to speak to the audience in an authentic voice seamlessly imbued with local flavor, not one which draws a line between the expatriates and the nationals.
As ICRT is the sole English music station in Taiwan, naturally they would draw intense scrutiny whenever changes are made. But changes there are, and we as the foreign community in a mandarin-speaking country can be more magnaninous toward the station’s effort to help others to learn the English language.
In my humble opinion, the newscaster and DJs have been doing a commendable job hosting their programs for listeners, native and learning speakers alike. These professionals seem to have grasped the fact that they are serving an audience that includes those who do not have a much better source of advanced English media than the radio. The TV programs mostly cater to child learners. The mandarin subtitles or dubbing on most other English programs tend to distract the viewer more accustomed to the Chinese language in the first place.
As with other asian nations which cultivate an eastern/western fusion in their media, Taiwan is going through a stage of transition - From a mandarin community into one which is effectively billingual. As foreign residents from diverse parts of the world, we could try to keep an open mind, instead of demanding to return ICRT back to the way it was, much as many of us would like. There is no ignoring the fact that Taiwan nationals, many with their less than perfect English, are very eager to learn and interact with native speakers who chose willingly to reside in their country. For this, Taiwanese learners of EL should be admired, not derided and made to feel inferior for the shift in focus ICRT has made.
i agree with bugsy’s comments (by the way nice screen name, he founded las vegas…got whacked there too) about icrt being a bridge. it would be wrong to have ALL english programming.
my beef about ICRT is that they play crap and i think they’re on the take.
[quote="Bugsy The newcasters and DJs all try their best to enunciate slowly and clearly as best as they can because they want to be understood by English learners. Native speakers can still hear, without much problem, what is being announced. [/quote]
I was critical in an earlier post of the horrible enunciation. This post reminded me of the 95% of ICRT listeners who need clear slow english.
But, bloody hell its irritating… Could that news guy at least try and make it less stomach churning.
He seems to making use of the 4 tones. Maybe if he went nice and slow in the first tone only it would be okay.
Yes, I second your comment about the playlist, Rantheman. It is mostly programmed by one individual and, often, new songs, are played by (tedious) rote. The station should let their DJs’ spontaniety, however idiosyncratic, shine through and accede to the audiences’ requests more generously. They have the advantage over advertisers on song selection, because of their current monopoly of the English radio market in Taiwan.
Ok, it’s been sooo long since I’ve listened to ICRT. What’s the frequency, Kenneth?
Bugsy, I think it is fair for me to say, we all understand the importance of students using ICRT to help them learn English. That’s a given.
For me, as I stated on an earlier post, it was the decision they made to drop the morning news hour that compels me to post a few comments here. For many foreigners this was the time they listened to ICRT, especially the people that have a regular job and like to listen to the news when they get up. For the music playlist, which is the other reason why people feel the need to make a comment, you seem to agree that the playlist can be improved. (basically, mandopop has its place, as long as it is not overplayed).
I think what the authors of the petition are trying to do is simply have ICRT management live up to their stated charter. If they receive any funding from the government because they claim to offer a special service, then they have to offer that special service. (if they don’t, then of course, biz is biz).
If they don
Yes, and I did not disagree with you, 4nr. Everybody is entitled to their point of view and all the best to your petition. Merry Christmas.