Star Chinese Channel

Star Chinese Channel (Chinese: 衛視中文台; pinyin: Wèishì Zhōngwén Tái) is a Taiwanese Mandarin general entertainment television channel operated by The Walt Disney Company Asia Pacific.

Its programming features drama, variety, lifestyle, and talk shows in Mandarin. Launched in 1991 by Star TV (now The Walt Disney Company Asia Pacific), the channel originally targeted audiences in Greater China, before it reduced broadcasting area to Taiwan in 1996.

One of the five original channels of Star TV, Star Chinese Channel was launched on 21 October 1991. It is also the first private-owned channel to broadcast in Taiwan. It was a free-to-air channel, but at some point,[when?] Star TV encrypted the channel. The channel was previously broadcast across Greater China, but on 31 March 1996, Star TV reduced its broadcasting area to just Taiwan (Viewers in Hong Kong and Mainland China were offered Phoenix Chinese Channel instead). Star TV later launched a separate international version of Star Chinese Channel which is available in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia.

At one point,[when?] the channel's operation was moved from Hong Kong to Taipei, Taiwan.

Shiau Hong-chi says that the original business for Star TV was to broadcast popular American shows to Taiwanese audience with as less effort as possible. Shiau then argues that however the plan was unsuccessful and Star TV had to invest on localized branches such as Chinese Channel and Channel V Taiwan and make local shows.