Shanghai Media Group, China's second-largest media group by revenue, plans to launch a 24-hour English TV news channel in China. The company has been in talks with Chinese regulators, who monitor all published and broadcast content in China, and is believed likely to win approval for a launch of the channel by the end of the year.
The plan has apparently won strong support from the Shanghai city government, but now must gain Beijing’s approval, which will be a considerable barrier given that the state-owned national channel, China Central TV, already broadcasts an English news channel, CCTV 9 – and garners considerable advertising revenue from doing so.
Shanghai Media also aims to broadcast its planned English news channel in Asia, Europe and North America, through satellite transmission or cooperation with local broadcasters. However, an unnamed source cited by the Shanghai Daily newspaper seemed to suggest the station was focused more on a locally-based audience. "Shanghai needs an English-language TV channel to serve the increasing number of expatriates living and working in the city. You can imagine how many foreigners will travel to Shanghai during the World Expo in 2010," the source claimed.
Shanghai Media currently operates about 20 television and radio channels, including 24-hour Chinese-language news and entertainment broadcaster Dragon TV, which can be accessed by audiences outside China through satellite partners.
Equity deals with foreign media firms for the new station are considered unlikely, due to Beijing's tight control of the domestic media sector, and steadfast refusal to sanction foreign editorial input into published or broadcast content in mainland China.
Last update : Sunday, 23 September 2007
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