Chinese TV is in for a change in format. China Central Television has decided to take the initiative to adopt a more “western” approach to programming, in which a single station obtains exclusive broadcast rights to a show.
In the current system, a television series of 20 to 40 episodes is sold to a first run station where it is shown two episodes per day for two or three weeks. After this it essentially goes into immediate syndication in different local markets. Widespread cable TV brings major local stations to viewers across the country, so it is not unusual to find different episodes of the same series playing on three or four channels at the same time.
By switching to an exclusive system, individual stations should be able to build up a brand, and ratings may begin to make more sense. CCTV Channel 8 has already tested this out with two Korean soaps that will be shown on no other domestic station.
Viewers complain that despite the wealth of programming put out every year, there is never anything good on. Could this be the solution to their problems?
- Legal Mirror (Chinese): CCTV to lead a “shuffling” of TV broadcasting
- Previously on Danwei: TV producers talk about losses
- Image adapted from CCTV