The Commercialization of the Chinese Media

By

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

My thanks go out to all who have helped me complete this study and with whom this project may have not been possible. In particular, my gratitude goes out to friends, facilitator and family for extensive and helpful comments on early drafts. I am also deeply indebted to the authors who have shared my interest and preceded me. Their works provided me with a host of information to learn from and build upon, also served as examples to emulate.

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DECLARATION

I, (Your name), would like to declare that all contents included in this thesis/dissertation stand for my individual work without any aid, & this thesis/dissertation has not been submitted for any examination at academic as well as professional level previously. It is also representing my very own views & not essentially which are associated with university.

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ABSTRACT

This thesis is about the commercialization of Chinese media. The rapid development of television in China over the last two decades is also continuing apace. New technologies are changing the realities and potential of television in China almost daily. The government is implementing a policy of digitization that should have all of China's television networks broadcasting digitally within the next ten years. Broadband technologies are increasingly popular, bringing the possibility of video-on-demand, online broadcasting, and the convergence of television, telecommunications, and computer networks. These and other technological advances are multiplying the number of television channels and may revolutionize television-viewing habits. In the final part of the chapter, we will therefore consider the future of television in China, focusing in particular on the way those changes in broadcasting, technology, and social attitudes are combining to fragment the national viewing audience with multiple niche channels, regionalism, and new conceptualizations of more personalized home entertainment.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSII

DECLARATIONIII

ABSTRACTIV

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONSVII

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Background1

Theoretical framework3

Problem statement3

Justification4

Aims and objective of the study4

Research question5

CHAPTER 2: LITETRATURE REVIEW6

The Development of Chinese Television: An Overview6

The Early Years6

The 1980s: Television Revolution7

The 1990s: Technological Revolutions10

Stations, Networks, and Channels12

Terrestrial Television14

Satellite Television16

Cable Television18

Television Networks, National Identity, and Popular Culture20

Television Programs23

Dramas24

News28

Entertainment Programs31

Popular Movies, Documentaries, and Children's Television33

Television Audiences and Popular Culture35

Changing Television Audiences36

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY40

Introduction40

Research philosophy40

Bias40

Search strategy41

Limitations41

CHAPTER 4: DISCUSSION42

Marketization and commercialization42

Transfiguring the WTO and commercialization in the Chinese media44

Discourses of Media46

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION53

Ideological Control of New China53

The Future of Chinese Television53

REFERENCES58

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

BBCBritish Broadcasting Corporation

CCTVChina Central Television

CDACritical Discourse Analysis

CITCChina International Television Corporation

CPCCommunist Party of China

CNRChina National Radio

EU FAIR European Union Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting

FCC Federation Communications Commission

GATTGeneral Agreement of Trade and Tariff

HRWHuman Rights Watch

NCPPCC National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference

NPCNational People's Congress

SARFT State Administration of Radio, Film and Television

SEZSpecial Economic Zone

SOEState Owned Enterprise

WTOWorld Trade Organization

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Background

Watching television is the most popular leisure activity in contemporary China. Even in the countryside, more than 90 percent of the population has access to a television set, and in the cities the figure is close to 100 percent. Chinese people watch on average between two and five hours of television every day; it is their primary, most often used, and most widespread ...