西歐衛星電視的發展

The Development of Satellite Television in Western Europe

西歐衛星電視的發展和美國之間最大的不同在於國與國之間的摩擦和合作特別明顯，此一特性和亞洲國家類似，因此本篇的主旨即在介紹西歐衛星電視過去十年的發展，及其未來可能面對的趨勢，做為我國發展衛星電視的鏡子。在新科技的衝擊下，西歐電視的收費結構，已由依賴執照費到引進廣告、接受訂戶、同意贊助，不但自由市場及公司文化出現，原本植基於公共服務的法規也開始解構。在西歐出現已經解構、雙軌系統、由獨佔到快速解構、自我解構及進口解構等五種解構模式。從西歐各國法規解構的結果來看，衛星電視商業化的色彩尤其濃厚，除了德國還高舉公商並存的大旗以外，其他國家的衛星電視都已背離文化教育，直指大眾娛樂，盧森堡的Astra更是商業化成功的典範。由於衛星電視本身具有跨國界的特性，因此其所帶來的問題，最嚴重的就是直接侵犯他國主權的溢波，其次則是因語言影響力的擴大，以及節目尺度的差異所掀起的文化之爭，最後則是形成國內電視與國外電視及公營電視與商營電視之爭。從西歐的經驗可以了解，新媒體的發展必然會朝向商業化及國際化，各國衛星的發展正好為美國文化舖路，而跨國商業電視的競爭雖然給獨立製作的公司帶來商機，卻會威脅到各國公共電視的本質，同時在開放天空的政策下，不但文化認同會產生危機，甚至會有文化標準化(cultural standardization)的傾向，是文化侵略或是四海一家(globalization)，則屬見仁見智的看法了！西歐衛星電視的發展和美日二國衛星電視的發展，最大的不同在於國與國之間的摩擦和合作特別明顯。從一九八二年歐洲第一個衛星電視頻道Sky Channel，利用OTS(Orbital Test Satellite)傳送電視節目訊號以後，西歐各國的衛星電視已出現英語圈、德語圈、法語圈及北歐圈等分眾的現象，而西歐以往標榜的公共服務廣播精神(Public Service Broadcasting Ideology)也在衛星電視自由化、商業化及國際化的壓力下，不得不重新定位尋求未來的方向。從過去的經驗來看，政府的政策、國際的法規、現存的有線電視系統、所用衛星的強度、廣告業界的態度、衛星節目的行銷、節目製作的成本、觀眾接受的程度及後面支持的財務等因素，均可決定一個衛星電視系統的成敗(Negrine, 1988)。然而檢討這些年來的發展，究竟衛星電視是用來做文化教育的工具，或只是另一個電視娛樂的通路？一個國家如何面對衛星訊號的溢波(spillover)，面對其他國家的文化輸出？以及科技的結合和有線電視應是相輔相成或彼此衝突呢？本篇的主旨即在介紹西歐衛星電視在過去十年的發展，及其未來可能面對的趨勢，做為我國發展衛星電視的鏡子。

This article is going to discuss five different dimensions in satellite television of Western Europe. They are: television deregulation in Western Europe, the development of direct broadcasting satellite (DBS) in Western Europe, recently situation of the satellite television in Western Europe, questions raised by satellite television in Western Europe and the trend for satellite television in Western Europe. Because the satellite television development in Western Europe is a very special prototype, I hope to find some helpful experience for Taiwan which is interested in launching its own satellite television and making the law. In the past, there are five patterns of regulation and deregulation in Western Europe: Already Deregulated, Dual System, Monolithic State-regulated Monopolies undergoing Dramatic Deregulation, Self-regulating Monopoly and Small Countries with Imported Deregulation. Because the procedure of deregulation opened the door for commercialization, the development of satellite television system in Western Europe has strong tendency toward privatisation. This tendency can be clearly found in the five countries which develop DBS: British, France, West Germany, Luxembourg and Sweden (Nordic countries)-- especially for Luxembourg-based Astra. However, because the footprint of satellite is big enough to cover several countries, the spillover situation is more serious than it is in America. Besides, the different standard for the content of programme, length of advertisement, import quota from America, the unfair competition for linquistic and competition between national channels and international channels all become hot issues in Western Europe. From the experience of Western Europe, the inevitable trend for new media is commercialisation and internationalization. The national television stations not only have to face the competition from internal commercial television channels, but also to resist the pressure from external (transnational) commercial television channels. The right of free choice to audience will become a new ideology in the television market. In addition, American Culture will have potential influence for all the world. To protect small linguistic countries' culture, such as Greece or Portugal, will be a difficult task. In the policy of Open-Sky, the culture of Western Europe maybe have the tendency of standardization.