The KMT (Kuo Min Tang) government limited the development of the media under KMT party-state system during the martial law period in Taiwan. However, there were more than twenty commercial radio stations at that time. They were not supported by the KMT government such as the party-owned radio(Broadcasting Corporation of China, BCC),the army-owned radio, and the government-owned radio.These commercial radio stations depended on advertisement incomes so they made Taiwanese culture programs to attract most listeners using Taiwanese Hokkien. When the KMT government promoted Mandarin to suppress Taiwanese Hokkien, the commercial radio stations were the important media to disseminate Taiwanese culture to the public deeply.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the rise and fall of the commercial radio stations under KMT party-state system in Taiwan from1952 to1987.This study explored three topics : KMT party-state system how to control the commercial radio stations, the commercial radio stations how to disseminate Taiwanese culture, and interactions between the commercial radio stations and the Tangwai movement(黨外運動).I used many first-hand files to discuss the commercial radio stations were controlled by KMT party-state system. In the three parts of the thesis, I compared the variation of the commercial radio stations during the martial law period in Taiwan.
In the first part, I discussed the political environment to make the KMT government limited open the commercial radio stations to oppose the Psychological Warfare of Communist Party of China in 1950s. I found all the owners of the commercial radio stations have KMT or the political background. And I discussed the integrated-star programs and the improvement of LP technology influenced more and more Taiwanese culture programs in commercial radio stations in the late 1950s.
Second, I discussed the commercial radio stations on one hand how to face the Taiwan Garrison Command(警備總部) which strengthened the control ,on the other hand how to make many attractive programs about Taiwanese songs, broadcasting Taiwanese drama, and broadcasting Taiwanese opera to increase advertisement incomes in the industrialization period in 1960s. I found the KMT government used the executive order and the post review system at the period to control the commercial radio stations so that forbidden songs still could broadcast to the public by the commercial radios. Third, I discussed Chinese Culture Renaissance Movement how to restrict the commercial radio stations to Mandarin gradually to suppress Taiwanese Hokkien from 1968 to 1973.Because of being the loudhailer of the KMT government, the commercial radio stations declined at this time. Finally, I discussed the Government Information Office, Executive Yuan (行政院新聞局) established the Prior review system such as Radio and Television Act to inhibit Taiwanese Hokkien in the programs of the commercial radio stations from 1974 to 1987. At the same time the Tangwai movement(黨外運動)spread fast. I discussed the commercial radio stations how to help broadcast the KMT candidates in the Taiwan supplementary elections. The members of the Tangwai movement broke KMT control the commercial radio stations through the Taiwan supplementary elections.