Commercial, not political TV in China
Socialism with Chinese characteristics seems to tolerate commercial enterprises — even television. But, once again, everyone knows who's in charge, especially at the 7:00pm hour.China's got viewers
China’s television business has developed largely in isolation from the rest of the world. Despite heroic efforts, particularly by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation, Western media firms have been unable to launch mainland channels. They have been restricted to TV sets in Hong Kong and in expensive hotels, or reduced to selling the odd programme to domestic networks. But isolation does not mean Chinese television is stagnating. On the contrary: it is progressing at a lunatic pace.
Money is pouring in… Total television advertising has grown sevenfold since 2001…
The box used to be dominated by the state-run CCTV, which is controlled by the Communist Party’s publicity department. But despite the launch of new channels—it currently has 15… CCTV’s share of viewing is falling. Earlier this year it was overtaken by the combined audience of provincial broadcasters… which can each distribute one channel nationally. These provincial outfits, which are less controlled by Beijing, are locked in a fierce, untidy and occasionally underhanded struggle for viewers…
Why are these troublesome, populist broadcasters allowed to operate at all? Because the Chinese government wants people to watch television. The living-room set is a crucial conduit between the state and the masses. However ribald their programming at other times, at seven o’clock in the evening almost all channels carry CCTV’s starchy news broadcast, in which unsmiling anchors relay the latest utterances from party officials. If television becomes too dull, that show would lose its audience. After all, many Chinese can go elsewhere for entertainment...
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Labels: China, media, political culture, politics
posted by Ken Wedding @ 5:53 AM
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