TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND, 國防部) disclosed Thursday (July 3) the strategic framework behind its ongoing campaign to bolster public awareness of national security issues through broadcast media. Officials explained their use of a specialized "restricted tender" procurement process to identify and contract media companies with established broadcasting expertise and technical capabilities. The ministry's flagship television program "All New Vision" (全民新視界), a centerpiece of this educational initiative, has maintained a position among the top 80 most-watched programs in Taiwan's competitive cable television landscape according to national ratings.
The ministry's media strategy recently drew sharp criticism from Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌), a prominent legislator from the Taiwan People's Party (TPP, 民眾黨), a centrist political party founded in 2019. Huang questioned the allocation of approximately NT$130 million (about US$4.5 million) over a six-year period for "All New Vision," pointing to what he characterized as disappointing online viewership metrics despite the substantial investment. Defense officials countered these criticisms by referencing the All-Out Defense Education Act (全民國防教育法), legislation that has provided the legal foundation for the program since its inception in 2018, emphasizing that its primary objective remains cultivating broader public comprehension of Taiwan's defense posture and security challenges.
In its detailed response to the criticism, defense officials underscored the specialized nature of producing "All New Vision," describing it as a complex endeavor requiring professional media expertise and technical broadcasting capabilities. The procurement process, they maintained, strictly follows protocols established in the Government Procurement Act (政府採購法), Taiwan's legislative framework for public spending. The ministry implemented a rigorous selection process overseen by a committee comprising independent experts and academic specialists. Officials pointed to the program's consistent performance metrics over the previous three years, with 26 episodes each securing a position within the top 80 most-watched programs in Taiwan's national cable and satellite television ratings — a benchmark they consider validation of the program's effectiveness. ◼
(At time of reporting, US$1 equals approximately NT$28.847)