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CCTV America goes live

State broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) has officially launched CCTV America in its bid to capture a greater share of the global audience. The new operation, located out of a brand new studio in Washington DC, will be produced by about 100 journalists in 15 bureaus in North and South America, offering viewers four hours of programming daily in three programmes: Biz Asia America, a business news broadcast; The Heat, a talkshow; and Americas Now, a news magazine programme.

Part of a government-sponsored push to ramp up China's "soft power", CCTV America is staffed by producers and reporters lured from other major international networks, including veteran "60 Minutes" producer Barbara Dury, BBC reporter Michael Voss, and Emmy Award winner Mike Walter, formerly with CBS affiliate WUSA.

Ma Jing, the Director General of CCTV America, said in a press statement that the new operation would "uphold traditional journalistic values", offer "alternative views" and "consider accuracy, objectivity, truthfulness, and public accountability more important than anything else". We'll see if they live up to their word.


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By Kenneth Tan in on February 8, 2012 5:00 AM 0 Comments

Comments [rss]

  • dreyermark

    What's the point? The only possible interesting reason for a westerner to watch CCTV overseas would be to see the Chinese view on a China-related story - who cares what CCTV has to say about other world news events? - and that's exactly when the channel will revert to type and tow the government line. There is no way any of the highly touted "foreign" reporters will be allowed to handle an important China story, and I've been told as much by one of the Chinese reporters sent to Washington. CCTV boasts that the third highest ranking person at the US bureau used to work at NBC, as if that means they will suddenly become objective and professional. Er, what about numbers 1 and 2 who report to the Communist Party? Sure, the "western" media needs some alternative viewpoints. But this, unfortunately, will be the same old propaganda, except higher production values will just mean the party line is a little bit more convincing.

  • interesting... :)

  • terroir

    Truth with Chinese characteristics.

  • mimomimo

    In the meantime, the CCP still tells the Chinese people how the world is against China, how China is misrepresented, how the world wants China to fail.... sob sob weep and so on etc.I really couldn't imagine China allowing Fox news to broadcast 'Fox Hanyu' and offer the Chinese people, ahem, ''alternative views'' to Xinhua on current affairs. (No I don't watch or like Fox, but yes, CCTV is the equivalent of Fox).Does this mean http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/... can now be unblocked in China? Surely, that's only fair. 

  • LSD2012

    While praying "China allowing Fox news to broadcast", why you had to add "No I don't watch or like Fox"/ You must've really pissed them Fox off while they are just for your type.

  • mimomimo

    哇，你的英文阅读能力很差。。。

    囧囧囧

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