China Media Monitor Headlines Archives

Beijing plans to build a 15-kilometer media industry corridor to the east of the new CCTV building in Chaoyang District, according to a press conference at the 4th China Beijing International Cultural & Creative Industry Expo. Feng Chunqiu, deputy director of the Chaoyang District Publicity Department, said he expects the corridor to attract more than 20,000 media companies and RMB100 billion (US$14.6 billion) in annual revenues. The Beijing government plans to raise around RMB15 billion (US$2.2 billion) in private capital to build the infrastructure for the media corridor. China Education TV, Shanghai Media Group, Hunan Satellite TV and Tianjin Satellite TV are already discussing their site in the corridor, according to Feng.

The State Administration of Radio, Film and TV (SARFT) has instructed broadcasters not to hire Hong Kong or Taiwan hosts to present variety shows or New Year concerts, reports Chengdu Business Daily. Broadcasters have lured a number of Hong Kong and Taiwan celebrities to the mainland in recent years by offering them high salaries. While the hosts have helped boost ratings with their lively performances, SARFT said it is concerned that TV stations are spending too much money on them. The order is informal as SARFT issued it verbally instead of publishing an official notice.

Hunan TV will be well represented at the 2009 Asia TV Festival (ATF) in Singapore from December 2 to 4. The station is in the running for three awards at the festival, including best variety show for Beat the Mike (Tiaozhan Maikefeng), best TV drama for The Heart of Grass (Youyou Cun Cao Xin) and best variety show host for He Jiong. Hunan TV will also showcase more than 60 productions at the international content market, including its adaptation of the Ugly Betty format (Chounv Wudi) and the Happy Girls (Kuaile Nvsheng) talent show. Sheng Boji, deputy editor-in-chief at the station, said they have already scheduled meetings with more than 10 TV stations and production companies from Italy, France and UK at the festival. The station plans to produce more programs and dramas in the future in a bid to increase the revenues it generates from overseas sales.

Beijing Haidian People's Court ordered leading mainland online video operator Youku to pay China's Anti-Piracy Union RMB450,000 (US$65,885) in compensation for copyright infringements on 47 TV dramas on November 26, according to Beijing Business Today. Rival online video site Voole.com, one of the Union founders, announced that the Union plans to file another lawsuit alleging Youku has infringed the copyright on 242 TV dramas. Youku will have the opportunity to lodge an appeal.

Jieli Publishing House has sold more than 1.5 million copies of the four volumes in the Twilight series, Beijing News reports. The vampire romance series by US author Stephenie Morgan Meyer has sold around 85 million copies worldwide. The first two volumes have been adapted into two popular films, Twilight and The Twilight Saga: New Moon. The first film in the series premiered across China on November 25.