On 17 April 2020 the National Communications Commission (NCC) reached an agreement with the Ministry of Education that due to possible school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic, Channel 3 of Public Television Services (PTS Channel 3) will be assigned to provide support for distance learning to meet the needs of junior and high schools nationwide.
PTS Channel 3 is a must-carry channel on all cable TV systems in Taiwan and can be picked up with an ultra-high frequency antenna together with a high-definition TV set-top box.
Further to its requisition of selected airtime from domestic TV and radio services to broadcast health-related information (for further information please see "NCC requisitions airtime to broadcast health-related information"), the NCC will issue an order, subject to power of assignment given in the circumstances of natural disaster or emergency, under Article 26 of the Satellite Broadcasting Act on school closures or the national lockdown. PTS Channel 3 will broadcast online courses covering sports, arts and healthcare between 1:30pm and 4:30pm during weekdays to supplement distance learning deployed on the Internet according to an emergency plan prepared by the Ministry of Education. It will be presented in a series of 30-minute episodes.
PTS Channel 3 was launched by the Taiwan Public Television Services Foundation in 2008 and was the first high-definition TV channel in Taiwan. It offers TV programmes on arts and culture, drama and sports.
