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| Country | Greater China (21 October 1991-30 March 1996) Republic of China (Taiwan) (30 March 1996-1 January 2024) |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Taiwan (21 October 1991-1 January 2024) |
| Headquarters | British Hong Kong (1991-30 March 1996) Taipei,Taiwan (30 March 1996-1 January 2024) |
| Programming | |
| Languages | Cantonese (21 October 1991-30 March 1996) Mandarin (21 October 1991-1 January 2024) |
| Picture format | 1080iHDTV (downscaled to480i for the SD feed) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | The Walt Disney Company (Taiwan) Ltd. |
| Sister channels | Star Chinese Movies Star World Star Movies Gold & Star Movies HD |
| History | |
| Launched | 21 October 1991[1] |
| Closed | 31 March 1996; 29 years ago (1996-03-31) (Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Macau and Mainland China) 2 July 2020 (SD, Brunei) 19 September 2021 (Transvision in Indonesia feed) 1 October 2021 (Unifi TV in Malaysia feed andSingtel TV in Singapore feed) 31 January 2022 (Astro in Malaysia feed) 30 September 2023 (Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Macau) 1 January 2024; 22 months ago (2024-01-01) (Taiwan) |
| Replaced by | Phoenix Chinese Channel (Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Macau and Mainland China) KMTV (Taiwan) |
| Former names | Star TV Chinese Channel (21 October 1991-31 December 2000) |
| Links | |
| Website | www |
Star Chinese Channel (Chinese:衛視中文台) was a Taiwanese general entertainment television channel operated by The Walt Disney Company (Taiwan) Ltd. Its programming featured dramas, variety shows, lifestyle programs, and talk shows inMandarin.
Launched on 21 October 1991 at 16:30Hong Kong Time by its predecessor, Star TV, the channel initially targeted audiences inGreater China, broadcasting in bothMandarin andCantonese. However, on 30 March 1996, it reduced its broadcasting area toTaiwan and switched to Mandarin-only programming.
Star Chinese Channel, along with its sister channel, Star Entertainment Channel, ceased operations on 1 January 2024, as Disney further expanded itsDisney+ streaming platform.
The fourth of the five original channels of Star TV,[1] Star Chinese Channel was launched on 21 October 1991 at 16:30Hong Kong Time as STAR TV Chinese Channel. Initially, it targeted audiences acrossGreater China, broadcasting in bothMandarin andCantonese.
Star Chinese Channel was introduced as a24-hourMandarin-languagevarietyentertainment channel, featuring fullChinese-language content primarily provided byATV inHong Kong and broadcasting fromMainland China. It also airedtelevision series from other regions inGreater China, includingChina,Hong Kong,Macau,Taiwan, andSingapore. Additionally, it was the firstcommercially owned television channel to broadcast inTaiwan.
Originally afree-to-air channel, Star TV later encrypted its signal. Until 30 March 1996 at 19:00 Hong Kong Time, the channel was broadcast acrossGreater China. On that date, Star TV regionalized STAR TV Chinese Channel, reducing its broadcast area to Taiwan only. Viewers outside Taiwan were instead provided access toPhoenix Chinese Channel.
At one point, the channel's operations were relocated fromBritish Hong Kong toTaipei on 30 June 1997.
Shiau Hong-chi stated that Star TV's original business strategy was to broadcast popular American shows to Taiwanese audiences with minimal effort. However, he argued that this plan was unsuccessful, forcing Star TV to invest in localized branches such as Star Chinese Channel and Channel V Taiwan, as well as produce local programming.[2]
As Disney, which hadpreviously acquired FOX International Networks, decided to further expandDisney+ across Asian markets, it made the decision toshut down its entire cable TV network, including Star Chinese Channel.
The channel had already ceased operations inSoutheast Asia,Hong Kong, andMacau on 1 October 2023, while Taiwan was the final market to see its closure. Star Chinese Channel, along with its sister channel Star Entertainment Channel, officially shut down in Taiwan on 1 January 2024.[3][4] Following its closure, the channel in Taiwan was later replaced byKMTV.[5]
| Country/Region | Date |
|---|---|
 Taiwan | |
 Mainland China | |
| International Feed: | Hong Kong, Macau and Southeast Asia:
Australia, New Zealand: 2 October 2006 – 2018 USA and Canada: 2 October 2006 – 2018 Middle East, South Africa and UK: 2 October 2006 – 30 September 2023 |
