| Code | 901J |
| Title | The Myth of the CCTV Monopoly |
| Author | John JIRIK |
| Affiliation | Radio-TV-Film Dept., The University of Texas at Austin |
| Abstract |
This
paper looks at the myth of the CCTV monopoly in broadcast news in the People's
Republic of China (PRC). Through analysis of the ratings of CCTV and PRC
regional broadcasters, this paper argues that the audience for television
news in the PRC is shrinking in comparative terms as people's appetite for
popular culture increasingly finds expression through the demand for commercially
viable television. Although Xinwen Lianbo is still the most watched,
and most influential television program in the PRC, in relative terms, its
influence is waning as alternative information sources, both in the television
sector, and outside it, such as the Internet, increasingly contest its position.
Moreover, and bracketing Xinwen Lianbo, which regional broadcasters
in the PRC are required to carry, I argue that the appetite for regional
and local news is also growing, as the regionalization of China's media
gathers pace.
These developments reflect two transformations associated with developments within PRC media. The first transformation is being driven by the ongoing commercialization of media, and the need for content to find an audience if it is to remain viable. This affects television news in two ways. On the one hand, Xinwen Lianbo's audience is artificially maintained through the requirement for regional outlets to carry the show. As a result, Xinwen Lianbo is under little pressure to compete. Long term, this can only undermine Xinwen Lianbo's legitimacy. On the other hand, commercial and public service news is becoming increasingly popular, from regional broadcasts, to Hong Kong-based and foreign news sources, such as Phoenix TV, or the BBCWSTV, contesting Xinwen Lianbo's position. The second transformation concerns a conceptual shift associated with analysis. The conceptual shift assumes a preference for culturally proximate programming within the PRC. This paper argues that the PRC is better understood as a series of asymmetrically interdependent geolinguistic regions, rather than as a single geo-cultural region. This shift facilitates analysis of the speed with which regionalization of PRC media is taking place. 'Natural' market segments will increasingly attempt to find a voice, which will undermine CCTV's monoglot Putonghua culture. Taking into account both transformations, this paper suggests that analysis must take into account not only economic regionalization associated with the diffusion of centralized power as regional economies within the PRC grow, but also the possibility of fragmentation of cultural markets if China's different major dialects can find a place on television, including in news broadcasts. This paper concludes that, long-term, the fragmentation of the market for broadcast news on economic and cultural grounds will promote regional news at the expense of Xinwen Lianbo, hence the title, the myth of the CCTV monopoly. |