China’s official Xinhua news agency will launch a 24-hour, global English TV service that will be broadcast via satellites, cable systems, the Internet and cell phones. The English TV service will be produced by China Network Corporation (CNC), which is affiliated to Xinhua. A ceremony was held in Beijing today to mark the start of a trial broadcast scheduled for tomorrow. After a trial operation of two months, the English service will be officially launched on 1 July.
Backed by the local and overseas Xinhua correspondents network, CNC aimed to quickly respond to major news events in China and abroad, and provide objective, comprehensive, in-depth and multi-dimensional news analysis, Xinhua President Li Congjun said. He said: “CNC will offer an alternative source of information for a global audience and aims to promote peace and development by interpreting the world in a global perspective.”
CNC’s programmes include World News, China Report, Business News, Lifestyles, and news magazine programmes, such as China View and Click On Today, as well as feature programmes such as World Perspective and Global Visitors.
(Source: Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union)
Andy Sennitt comments: This probably explains why CCTV 9 relaunched as CCTV News on Monday of this week. It appears there is a battle going on between CCTV and Xinhua to deliver global news from a Chinese perspective. One wonders whether the two services are supported by competing factions within the Chinese hierarchy, or whether China simply wants to give the appearance of press freedom by having two networks ostensibly competing with each other.
on Apr 30th, 2010 at 12:55
China really wants to promote it’s image abroad. Is there really a big audience for this kind of stuff?
on Apr 30th, 2010 at 14:22
Both budgets some from the same departments of the Ministry Of Culture, Ministry Of Propaganda, and the State Council. If Xinhua English will be seen in any markets except China I really wonder.
Something people don’t know is this would make 3 satellite news channels from China. Yes you heard me correct 3.
CCTV 9
Xinhua English TV
and China Radio International TV.
China Radio International TV was launched around the same time as DW-TW. They broadcast 24/7 in Mandarin, Cantonese and English. They have a budget of 80million RMB (around 12 million Euros). Staffed by 1409 people. With a huge audience of …………………….. Or maybe only 1409 people.
If anything Andy said it best “appearance of press freedom by having two networks ostensibly competing with each other”.
Why would they start such a thing? Well the other answer is to create jobs. The government is under lots of pressure to create jobs. And if you look at the history of other communist governments like the USSR, GDR and others they did the same.
Just expect to see an announcement coming up soon about a second international broadcaster from China. I’m not kidding. The Beijing Radio Corp., which own Beijing Music Radio, Beijing Traffic Radio, Beijing Sports Radio, Radio 774, and many others put on the table a plan at the last National People’s Congress to launch a 24 international radio service called China Worldwide. The service will broadcast in Mandarin and English 24/7 and will include 30 other languages including Dutch.