台灣有線電視系統先驅者之研究(1962-1993)

Abstract

摘要本文為台灣有線電視系統發展之歷史性研究。全文以1962年至1993年 台灣各地主要的社區共同天線系統業者，做為台灣有線電視系統發展的先 驅者，並經由對這群先驅業者的實證考察，說明各地線纜系統經營者，於 經歷社區共同天線系統轉至有線電視系統的過程間，其線纜技術取得與資 本積累的變動過程。在方法上，本文經由文獻資料與口述訪談的方式，進 行台灣主要社區共同天線系統業者的考察。其關於共同天線業者的部份， 以「中華民國共同天線電視設備協會」第三屆第二次會員大會，所登錄 的112家共同天線系統業者為依據，然後，根據「各縣市最早有系統專營 共同天線系統架設之業者」為選擇，確立20家業者，為本研究所稱的台灣 有線電視系統先驅者。歸納本研究之發現，關於台灣早期地區性電器經銷 商，兼營共同天線系統架設的原因，主要由於電器經銷商為維繫與客戶的 銷售與人際的關係，所從事的一種服務行為。然而，在幫助收視戶解決收 視問題的過程中，少數具有較佳無線電控制技術的電器經銷商，因為能夠 架設訊號品質較佳的天線系統，以至於逐漸與以銷售為主的電器經銷商間 ，形成分工的機制，進而在遂於1970年末期，在台灣出現第一批較具規模 的共同天線系統。1980年代後，各地共同天線系統的逐步擴張，業者出現 對工業級有線電視系統技術的需求，而後，透過對美國、日本等先進國家 有線電視系統的接觸，引進有線電視系統的器材與技術，有效的解決早期 天線系統的技術問題後，共同天線業者，開始逐漸擺脫兼營共同天線系統 的處境，而以未來台灣的有線電視系統業者自居。不過，1980年代晚期， 尤其各地「第四台」、「民主台」的興起，瓜分共同天線系統原有的獲利 空間，加上政府的主管並未有效的保障合法共同天線系統業者的經營，造 成共同天線業者的資本積累不足。進而，在1993年有線電視法公布後，共 同天線業者，為使其原有之系統，能夠通過有線電視法所規定的2億資本 額之申設門檻，而必須選擇與財團的資本進行整合。總的來說，台灣有線 電視系統業的發展，乃源於早期共同天線業者的發展，絕非1993年，有線 電視法公布後，才突然出現的產物。因此，對於研究者而言，觀察台灣特 殊的有線電視發展歷程，有必要涵蓋早期系統業者的發展歷程。不過，本 文的觀察重點，僅是對其中共同天線系統先驅者的部份，進行初步的實證 考察，其他如天線系統器材製造商的製造體系，各地區第四台業者的經營 過程，及共同天線業者與財團間整合的過程等議題，則有待後續研究的努 力。 Abstract This paper is about the historical research on the development of CATV systems in Taiwan. The paper takes the main operators of Community Antenna TV ("CATV") from 1962 to 1993 as pioneers developing "CATV." By the empirical observations towards these operators, this paper makes explanations on the obtainment of cable technology and the dynamic process of capital accumulation. In methodology, this paper gets its information mainly from the references consulting and in-depth interviews. The chosen operators are from the 112"CATV" operators recorded in the second meeting on the third year of Association of Community Antenna TV. Then, 20 operators are chosen as the "CATV" pioneers in this paper according to the "earliest CATV operators of each county and city." This research finds out that the main explanation for the electrical equipment vendors were concurrently in charge of "CATV" affairs then is due to the personal relationships between the customers and the operator. In solving the TV viewing problems, a few electrical equipment vendors that had better radio technology could set up better antenna systems so as to make a distinction from other electrical equipment vendors. Finally, in the end of 1970, "CATV" appeared in a larger scale in Taiwan for the first time. After 1980, the CATV systems started to expand, and the operators started to need industrial class of cable TV technologies. Later, they imported cable TV equipment and technologies from America and Japan. Consequently, the problems about technology were solved, and the CATV operators in Taiwan gradually cast off the concurrent job of both CATV maintaining and electrical equipment vending, having become the Cable TV operators. But in the late period of 1980, the illegal forth stations and democratic stations rose abruptly. The CATV operators had suffered from lacking capital because the government didn't set a law to protect them properly. Later in 1993, after Cable TV Decree had been announced, the CATV operators cannot but to be annexed to the tycoons to pass the capital threshold of 200 million dollars. Generally speaking, CATV in Taiwan did not appear only after the announcement of Cable TV Decree in 1993. So, researchers that are interested in cable TV development in Taiwan cannot exclude them from those CATV operators. The focus in this paper, however, is on the pioneers of those CATV systems. The remaining part of the issues as the producing systems of antenna equipment, the illegal forth station around Taiwan, and the issues about the annexation between the operators and the tycoons, etc. is all worth future researchers attention.