TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Control Yuan on Thursday criticized the Ministry of Culture for what it described as poor oversight and staffing issues at TaiwanPlus, the government-funded English-language media outlet.
The Control Yuan said that while TaiwanPlus, part of the Taiwan Broadcasting System, saw steady viewership growth from 2022 to 2023, its audience remained concentrated in Asia and the Americas, falling short of the ministry’s goal of promoting Taiwan’s image globally, per Tai Sounds.
It added that TaiwanPlus’ audience metrics focused only on viewing time and total view counts, lacking deeper data such as regional audience preferences.
On staffing, the Control Yuan alleged that TaiwanPlus’ reliance on foreign employees had weakened the platform’s ability to present Taiwanese perspectives. Citing witness testimony, it said proposals from Taiwanese staff members were often dismissed by management.
The report also mentioned an alleged case in which a former Taiwanese staffer was denied an anchor position due to their accent. Witnesses claimed that management tended to favor foreigners or American-born Taiwanese for on-air roles, limiting opportunities for domestic talent, per Newtalk.
TaiwanPlus responded on Thursday, rejecting accusations of bias against Taiwanese employees, per CNA. The outlet said that 70% of its anchors are Taiwanese, adding that accent is not a hiring factor.
TaiwanPlus emphasized that many local reporters have passed internal audibility and presentation tests, stressing that there is no discrimination within the organization.
