2008 Olympics - A Real Change of Heart?

BEIJING & CANNES --- Judging by its smartly dressed delegation at MIPCOM this month, Beijing TV has finally decided to come out of the woodwork of the Chinese TV industry where it has been sulking for the last three years… and about time.

As reported from time to time in CMM, the capital's broadcaster is often viewed by foreign companies as the most difficult of China's major broadcasters to work with, and that reputation certainly seemed appropriate to many of those who have tried working with BTV in the last few years.

While there are many reasons for BTV's recent reluctance to embrace international exchange (it led the field in the mid-1990s), the primary one is political. BTV answers directly to the Beijing Municipal Government that, because of its location right in front of the national government, is frequently the most conscientious in administering conservative central edicts.

But now, this has all changed. There is a new management team in place and a fresh Olympic atmosphere is blowing through the capital's media industries generated by the Government's new political priority to get the Olympics right.

Announcing a new initiative that will encourage foreign filmmakers to make their own films in China funded by the Chinese side, BTV Media chief Wei Yonggang went further in portraying a city that is open to genuine co-productions than any official before him, even admitting that China had been guilty of avoiding this obvious solution to its poor record in AV content exports.

While it remains to be seen how much BTV can achieve in the short time now left, it is certainly refreshing to see that the Olympics is now having a positive effect on how Chinese media is approaching co-operation with foreign countries, turning a reluctant partner into one eager to catch up with its Olympic competitor CCTV (See related article) and SMG, the regional leader.