China, Taiwan, Hong Kong

China

China is run by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which of course puts a decidedly socialist slant upon programming decisions. Most Chinese households have television and in 2000, cable enjoyed 60% penetration in urban centres. News coverage is tightly regulated, but advertising is not, since the state can no longer subsidise national networks. Channels tend to monopolise the market in their respective allocated administrative zones, but are barred from joining forces with channels from outside of these. Privatisation is out of the question in China, and digital TV is in its infancy.

Taiwan (population 22.4 million)

Despite political liberalisation in recent years, Taiwanese TV is still state-controlled. China Television (CTV) is owned by the KMT (a political party) and Taiwan Television (TTV) is state-controlled. Chinese Television System (CTS) is under the control of the Ministry of National Defence. Formosa Television (FTV) is basically a mouthpiece for the DPP. Public television was introduced in Taiwan in 1998, with the PTS (Public Television Service), which enjoys limited penetration.

Cable television is expanding in Taiwan, and over seventy channels can be received by 80% of households. Taiwan trades freely with Hong Kong, but for ideological reasons not with mainland China, which is happy to select only content deemed suitable for its population, without taking on board any dangerous or inappropriate material.

Hong Kong (population 7,000,000)

Hong Kong was handed over to China by the UK in 1997, becoming a ‘Special Administrative Region’ of the mainland. Media freedom in Hong Kong is unrestricted, and TVB and ATV are the two main private commercial players, with part-public RTHK allocate chunks of viewing time through these channels.

Pay-TV includes Wharf Cable and Yes TV amongst others, and regional satellite coverage is provided by Star TV, Phoenix TV, CETV and some other operators. Phoenix TV was set up in 1996, by Chinese investors and Rupert Murdoch’s Star TV. Three channels target a pan-Asian audience, with two more aimed at the USA and Europe, respectively. Local emphasis is placed on mainland China, which is Phoenix TV’s principal source of revenue from Greater China. In 1999 it was said to be available to 42 million households (13.1% national audience share) largely in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu.

Censorship of Phoenix TV is self-imposed, in order to facilitate penetration in a totalitarian environment, and the station, although less stuffy than China’s native CCTV, is supportive of the regime. Phoenix derives content from mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong alike but is not popular in Hong Kong and banned from downlinking in Taiwan.