Beijing Radio, Film & TV Group Stirs Up Hornet Nests

BEIJING --- Beijing Radio, Film & TV Group has started to stir up the capital's previously largely self operated state media companies and is making demands that have some media sectors shaking with anger and, in some cases, in fear. For better or for worse, the SARFT policy of bringing commercial media units under the control of commercial groups is changing the relationship between government and commerce in media sectors.
 
While plans unveiled prior to the formation of the Group envisaged BTV and Beijing People’s Radio Station becoming shareholders in the new corporate entity, they have instead become units fully incorporated into the Group as subsidiaries. BTV has been instructed to turn over 10% of its total income to underwrite Group operating expenses, while BTV and Beijing People’s Radio Station will also turn over an undisclosed percentage of their direct advertising income.
 
While appraisal of project applications made by BTV or Beijing People’s Radio Station was meant to transfer from the down-sized Beijing Radio, Film and TV Bureau to the Group, the reality is that the Group has been added to the list of approvals as Bureau clearance is still required. In the case of international projects, investments or company establishments, the agreement of the State Administration of Radio, Film & TV (SARFT) is also required.

This has slowed down an already painfully slow process that sees many journalists applying two months in advance to cover breaking news stories or attend international functions. But the real consternation among media workers relates to new long, medium and short term employment contracts that brutally remove the security belt around state media workers.

According to reports from sources close to BTV officials, recent rules designated by Beijing Radio, Film & TV Group will see employees with over 20 years service with BTV offered five-year employment contracts, while those who have worked for more than 10 years will be offered three-year contracts. Those with less than 10 years service will be offered one year rolling contracts only.

Meanwhile, the sources said that employees retained by BTV who resign before the end of their contracts will be required to pay compensation, while employees rejected by the station will not receive any compensation.

The sources said that employees who do not make the grade would be assigned other jobs by the personnel department. Prior to this allocation, they must register with the department every day and may not solicit for other jobs. For those unfortunate enough to be rejected by all BTV departments and for whom other allocation of work is not possible, their new status will be officially "unemployed".

Other reports that all workers over the age of 45 will not be retained had not been confirmed at the time of going to press and are discounted by CMM-I analysts for senior management positions. As one pointed out, BTV was only established in 1979, so the handful of over 45s who joined within the first two years of the station's existence are the only ones who will qualify for five year contracts.
 
Even as media workers look timidly towards the relative freedoms of life outside the system, they are being helped in the process by the recent stepping up of propaganda work relating to SARFT Minister Xu Guangchun’s speeches that the radio & television industry must carry out the “Three Representatives” in May and July.

All BTV and Beijing People’s Radio departments are re-learning the principles following Xu's direct criticism of the broadcasters' failure to implement them correctly. According to inside sources, a number of advertising companies, hotels and other diversified properties under BTV or Beijing Radio Station that have been turned over to the Beijing Radio, Film & TV Group, are missing funds believed to have been diverted by the leaders and "bosses".

Other subsidiary companies are scrambling to re-unite themselves with BTV and Beijing People's Radio in a bid to save assets that are now owned by Beijing Radio, Film & TV Group.