This study aims to analyze the issue selections, guest structures, and audience characteristics of all nightly television talk shows three months before and after the 2002 Taipei and Kaohsiung mayoral elections. Both a content analysis and a telephone survey are used in the study, with the former being supplemented by informal personal interviews with program producers. The results show that legislators and journalists comprise the major sources of the talk show guests. Election-related topics are discussed most frequently, followed by party-related topics. Issues related to government efficiency and domestic policy, however, are the least frequently discussed. Furthermore, those who most often call into the programs tend to be men identified with the People-First Party (PFP) with stronger political interests, but a lower level of political knowledge. Those who regularly watch the talk shows, on the other hand, tend to be older PFP-identifying people with stronger interests and higher levels of political knowledge. They also are apt to discuss politics more and be less satisfied with the President's performance. The study ends with a discussion of the implications and future research directions of the findings.