Videoland Television Network

Videoland Television Network
Type Nationwide cable TV network
Branding Videoland
Country Republic of China (Taiwan)
First air date
 1992
Availability Taiwan
Founded 1983
Official website
 www.vl.com.tw (Chinese)

Videoland Television Network (Chinese: 緯來電視網; pinyin: Wěilái Diànshì Wǎng) is a cable network program provider in Taiwan, founded in 1983 by Koos Group. Videoland is one of Taiwan's major satellite television providers, offering seven channels of programming. Videoland is also sales agent for the Pili Channel and the Discovery Channel.

Videoland's operations include an Engineering Division, a Programming Division and an Advertising Division as well as an Advertising Sales Division which is responsible for advertising sales for each of the television channels. In addition, Ho-wei Communications handles sales to system operators throughout Taiwan. Together these various units make up a complete package of television programming.

Videoland ventured outside the area of channel operations with the Videoland Hunters of the local SBL basketball league in 2004. The team serves as a source of program materials for the Videoland Sports Channel and has been a key factor in promoting the development of sports and recreation in Taiwan.

Development and growth

Videoland was founded in 1983 as a production house, producing more than 150 programs for the Government Information Office, the Public Television Service and commercial television stations. These included such popular programs as the prime-time series 'Seven-colored Bridge' and Public TV's "Uncle Sun's Stories" and others which won numerous awards from the GIO and the Ministry of the Interior.

Videoland Television Network

As Taiwan's television market matured, Videoland expanded beyond its original program-planning, production and post-production operations. In 1989 the company began channel operations and agency sales for cable TV, and in 1996 the Videoland Television Network was established as a flagship for all channel and program operations. Videoland Network is now one of the top providers of program content in Taiwan, with a history of more than 25 years in Taiwan's television industry.

Videoland Television Network has grown steadily during its 25-plus years of operations to become a force in Taiwan's cable TV industry.

Videoland has constantly adjusted its long-range strategy in the past by adding the Sports Channel and Japan Channel, and by offering Korean dramas.

In 1998 Videoland Sports presented the Amway Cup Women's Professional Billiards Tournament, opening up a whole new area for women athletes and for viewers in Taiwan. Similarly, in 2001 On-TV touched off a surge of Korean drama fever with hits like 'All about Eve' and 'Hotelier'. This trend was running strong in 2002 when the popular Korean historical drama 'The Last Empress' aired on Videoland Drama Channel. The show attracted record audiences while stirring up discussions in political and academic circles throughout Taiwan.

Videoland Sports Channel also set records when it broadcast the Asia Baseball Championships in 2003. In the same year Videoland set up agency operations to offer services to aspiring entertainers and performers, helping them to develop their skills while providing talent for Videoland's growing output of in-house produced programs.

This was followed by the launch of Videoland Western Movie Channel in 2004, adding a new dimension of entertainment in the line-up of channels. In June of the same year the network ventured into professional sports with the purchase of the BCC Mars basketball team. Now known as the Videoland Hunters, the team has helped to re-vitalize the world of professional basketball in Taiwan.

Videoland also began producing children's programs in 2004.

During the following year Videoland Western Movie Channel was renamed MaxTV and expanded its programming to incorporate a broad range of entertainment shows in addition to its Western movies and television series. Other popular features included reporting on leisure news and increased coverage of basketball games featuring SBL teams.

On January 1, 2006, a seventh channel was added to the Videoland family with the establishment of the Videoland Kids Channel. Known as QTV, the channel offers shows for young viewers for education and entertainment.

Timeline

Videoland Television Network headquarters in Fubon Life Ruiguang Building, Taipei City

Videoland.com

Videoland's webpage went on-line in July 2000 and now offers pages covering each of Videoland's seven in-house channels. Visitors can access information on programs as well as audio-video entertainment and sports news, info on upcoming events, on-line video broadcasts, on-line chat rooms, a greeting card service, program schedules and message boards.

Videoland's web site was established primarily to offer easy and convenient interactive access to viewers, with the latest information on programs and events as well as message boards where viewers' comments are gathered for analysis and response. The web site is designed to complement Videoland's programming with extended customer services and to enhance Videoland's image among viewers.

Visits to the site have increased steadily since its inauguration. The daily average of anonymous users reached 669,800 during the first quarter of 2001, and page views totaled 1,323,199 on April 22, 2001. This soared to a daily average of 8,250,574 during January 2006.

In March 2002 the site's Internet connection was upgraded in response to growing demand. Currently the number of concurrent users consistently surpasses 40,000 users at the same time. As of January 2006 the site had more than 170,000 registered users.

Videoland offers a growing number of services to Internet users through its web site including the following:

Visitors can access information and previews for upcoming shows, and they can also view re-broadcasts of selected programs.

Visitors can join as on-line members. Their input and feedback is analyzed to help determine what consumers want in value-added services such as electronic newsletters. This helps to build a core of satisfied and loyal viewers for Videoland's channels.

In July 2003 Videoland became the first cable TV provider in Taiwan to offer chat rooms to viewers. These extend the effectiveness of cross-promotions between programs and special events offered by the various channels, and are a part of Videoland's goal of providing full Internet services to viewers.

Network channels

Re-presented channels

Discovery Channel

PILI Taiwan Channel

Pili Taiwan Channel was established in 1995 as the first channel in Taiwan to offer broadcasts of puppet dramas. The puppet dramas shown on Pili TV rival big-screen productions in their scripts, editing, cinematography and special effects, with standards and budgets on a par with most television shows. In addition to its puppet dramas, Pili TV also offers a variety of Korean dramas and cartoons complemented by special interest, leisure and entertainment-related programs.

Advertising division

The Advertising division was founded in 1997 as Medialand Advertising, a subsidiary of Videoland. Up until the end of 2004 the unit served as an advertising agency for the various channels in the Videoland family as well as the Pi-li Puppet Drama Channel and LS Time Movie Channel. Medialand provided specialized corporate advertising, advertising photography and other functions for these channels.

In January 2005, Medialand was merged into Videoland as the Advertising Division of the company, with no substantial change in its operations. The division includes three departments handling advertising sales, advertising planning and advertising traffic.

The three departments in the division work very closely together, a trait developed while functioning as a single unit, and they continue handling hundreds of annual events. Other projects involve channel packages such as Introduction to Idol Drama; 1111 Job Bank: Working with Dummies; and the ChinaTrust JCB Platinum Card; and there are shooting assignments for the Ice Tea Time series; Wagamama Ramen Guide; and the Fu-bong Bank V Les Enfants Joint Card. In 2005 the Advertising Division expanded the scope of its activities to include public-spirited events like shooting the People's Joint Action; the Golden Visual Awards in cooperation with the Government Information Office and the Show Your Love campaign for the Taipei City Government. All of these projects have been carried out by the Advertising Sales Department with support from the Planning and Traffic divisions to form a solid, three-cornered approach to advertising.

Engineering division

The production center provides the personnel to produce programs for Videoland's in-house channels. The center was the first in Taiwan to boast a digital Outdoor Broadcast Van for live remote transmissions, and it maintains three digital studios. The center is made up of an Engineering Section, a Photography and Lighting Section, an Audio Section and other supporting units.

Videoland's post-production center boasts one analog and three digital editing suites as well as a number of smaller editing rooms. Equipment includes two analog editors and five digital editors as well as two non-linear editing stations. The center handles every step in processing from editing to special effects and subtitling. The opening titles produced by the center can greatly enhance the image and effect of a program with just 10 – 20 seconds of footage.

The broadcasting center handles broadcasting of all programs, insertion of advertising and other satellite link-ups. The center operates 24/7 throughout the year, with trained operators on duty to monitor the systems and correct any problems. This ensures clear, uninterrupted signals for all of Videoland's channels.

Administration and traffic oversees the activities of the personnel, studios and broadcast vehicles in the Engineering Division. They see that the right people and hardware are assigned to each task and that all assets are fully utilized.

Videoland Hunters

Main article: Videoland Hunters

The Videoland Hunters were founded as the Chien-hong Men's Basketball Team. The team's motto of Freedom, Greatness and Mars (God of War) has carried it through two decades in which it has consistently been among the highest finishers in its league.

Videoland purchased Chien-hong in 2004 and renaming it the Videoland Hunters a month later. The team took to the court as the Hunters for the first time in October 2004, finishing second among seven teams in the Oligo Million tournament with a 4-3 record. During 2005 the team made it into post-season play with a record of 18 V12, but after a strong start the team faltered and finished in third place with one win and two losses. Although the Hunters missed the championship game, they won the respect and admiration of players and fans throughout Taiwan. During the summer break in 2005 Chou Hai-rong took the reins as head coach of the team, with Chung Chih-mong serving as technical advisor. The coaching adjustment is another step toward the goal of coming out on top in the second season of full play for the re-vamped SBL league.

Technical information

Videoland Channel are now available in satellite Singtel ST 1 at 88.0°E. presently all channels are free to air at this time both C-band and three channels in Ku-band. Presently The Original beaming satellite station of Videoland Channel was seen on PaNamSat PAS-8 (Now Intelsat 8) Until December 31, 2006, after two months of absent of this satellite all Videoland Channels in Intelsat 8 are now back again still the same satellite on Monday, March 19, 2007 with new frequency. But immediately scrapped. There are two frequency in ST 1 satellite in all Videoland channels before. However one of the two frequencies of the same satellite are immediately scrapped. As of this time, all channels are now encrypted both C-band and Ku-band signals.

References

External links

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