Taiwan’s increasing engagement with Central and Eastern Europe continues to gain momentum, as Taiwan Public Television Service (PTS) has announced the signing of an MOU with Lithuania’s national broadcaster, Lietuvos nacionalinis radijas ir televizija (LRT). The agreement, signed earlier this month, aims to enhance industry collaboration through news and program exchange, fostering international audiovisual and cultural flow between the two countries.
The partnership between PTS and LRT was facilitated by Chen Pin-chuan, director of the cultural division of Taipei Representative Office in the UK. A film scholar by trade, Chen has been building strong relationships in Lithuania through his participation in the Lithuanian Taiwan Film Festival over the past several years. During a media and cultural exchange event in London this February, Chen passed on LRT’s interest in collaboration with PTS to PTS Chairman Hu Yuan-hui. With Chen’s mediation and after several rounds of discussions, the agreement was finalized, signed by PTS President Cindy Shyu and LRT Deputy Director Gytis Oganauskas.
According to President Shyu, the cooperation will focus primarily on news and program exchange, including sharing news content, offering local assistance to journalists traveling between the two countries, exchanging social and cultural documentaries, and sharing the best practices in producing high-quality content.
LRT, which has a nearly century-long history in broadcasting and over 60 years in television, currently operates three TV channels, three radio stations, and a news website. With approximately 600 employees, over 60% of its broadcast content is locally produced. Surveys indicate that 75% of the Lithuanian population trusts LRT, with almost 90% acknowledging its professionalism.
LRT has been recognized as Lithuania’s most popular media brand at the last three consecutive Baltic Brand Forums. In 2023, it became the first public media organization in the Baltic States to receive the Reporters Without Borders’ Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI) certificate for trustworthy journalism.
LRT also plays an influential role in the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), with its Director General, Monika Garbačiauskaitė-Budrienė, re-elected to the EBU board in 2023, alongside two representatives continuing their roles on the EBU’s radio and digital committees.
PTS has long been committed to producing content in line with the mission of public broadcasting, receiving widespread recognition for its news, dramas, and documentaries. For example, the drama Imperfect Us recently won Best Actress and Best Original Song at the 2024 Busan International Film Festival. In recent years, PTS has signed similar cooperation agreements with France’s National Audiovisual Institute and Montenegro’s Vijesti Media Group. Through its partnership with LRT, PTS hopes to offer audiences in both countries more diverse and higher-quality news and programs while further promoting Taiwan’s film and television industry on the global stage.