Influencer Hazal Defends Taiwan's Public Broadcaster Against Budget Cuts

Public Television Service (PTS) in Taiwan is facing a significant threat as lawmakers consider freezing and cutting its budget by over NT$1 billion. Influencer Hazal has publicly rallied to PTS's defense, emphasizing that its annual government funding of approximately NT$2.1 billion is already low compared to public broadcasters in other countries.

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If it is frozen by nearly half of its annual budget at once, it is equivalent to 'personally strangling the world's poorest, but most trusted, media outlet in Taiwan.'

Hazal cited the "2026 Digital News Report" by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University, noting that while overall public trust in Taiwanese news is only 25%, PTS enjoys 54% trust, the highest among Taiwanese media. He warned that a substantial budget freeze would effectively "strangle the world's poorest, yet most trusted, media outlet in Taiwan."

Comparing PTS's budget to international peers, Hazal pointed out that the UK's BBC receives over NT$200 billion annually, Japan's NHK around NT$130 billion, and South Korea's KBS about NT$31.7 billion. In contrast, PTS operates on a mere NT$2.1 billion. He also noted that this budget has remained stagnant for 26 years, effectively shrinking in real terms when adjusted for inflation.

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The annual government donation budget is about 2.1 billion yuan, which is already a relatively low level among public television stations in various countries.

Hazal questioned the logic behind budget cuts potentially fostering neutrality, arguing that if budget control were the aim, PTS's funding would have increased over different administrations. He suggested that freezing the budget could instead create a new form of political influence, making PTS hesitant to report freely for fear of political retaliation. He stressed that public television is a crucial infrastructure for a democratic society, serving all citizens, not any single political party, and its budget should not be subject to arbitrary political manipulation. Hazal urged the public to support PTS and participate in a petition to protect its funding.

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Public television is an important infrastructure for a democratic society, serving the entire population, not any political party, and its budget should not be arbitrarily increased or decreased due to political stances.