台灣有線電視產業集團化趨勢研究──以和信與力霸企業集團為例

The Conglomeration of Taiwan's Cable Television Industry-- A Case Study of the Koos Group and the Rebar Group

台灣有線電視產業在民國八十三年合法化後，業者無不急欲建全其營運體質，強化競爭能力，以期在市場上永續經營。不過由於有線電視是一項資本密集的產業，需要投注大量的資金，因此使得原先小本經營的業者不得不四處尋求資金援助，而國內部份企業集團即是在這樣的情況下，大舉介入有線電視產業，導致台灣有線電視產業財團化的趨勢「勢難避免」。有研究調查發現，台灣民眾對財團不斷併購有線電視系統，逐步形成市場獨佔壟斷的情形普遍感到憂心，而傳播研究者也建議媒體經營應避免財團或政治勢力介入，以免媒體壟斷的問題繼續惡化。到底在面對這種「勢難避免」，但卻又「應該避免」的趨勢，企業集團介入台灣有線電視產業的過程與現況為何，即為本研究所欲解答的問題。因此本研究除分析有線電視產業集團化發展歷程外，也以國內最積極也最大規模介入有線電視產業的兩大企業集團－－和信集團與力霸集團－－為研究對象，分析這兩大企業集團的背景與規模、其垂直與水平整合與併購等策略，並解構其經營有線電視的市場規模。

Taiwan's cable industry has dramatically changed in terms of its structure after it was legalized in 1993. Since cable television is a capital-intensive industry, its market has been dominated by economic power and its operation has been dominated by domestic conglomerates. In addition, the tendency towards conglomeration has been repeated in the cable television industry, where the number of system operators decreased from 625 in 1993 to approximately 100 in early 1999. Meanwhile, various business conglomerates have acquired interests in the industry through mergers and acquisitions. Although one study concludes that media industry should be free of the control under business conglomerates and political parties, another research indicates that conglomeration is an inevitable tendency of Taiwan's cable industry. Under the circumstances, my study examined the control of two domestic business conglomerates, the United Communications Group (UCG) and the Eastern Multimedia Group (EMG), over Taiwan's cable industry. Overall, my study reviewed their business structures, the total number of cable systems and cable channels under their operation, strategies of mergers and acquisitions, and their influences on Taiwan's cable industry. In conclusion, my study revealed that Taiwan's cable industry is definitely under the control of UCG and EMG, but its further development and their influences need to be carefully investigated.