CGTN (TV channel)
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Country | China |
---|---|
Network | China Global Television Network |
Headquarters | CCTV Beijing Television Centre Headquarters, Beijing Central Business District, Beijing, China |
Programming | |
Language(s) | English |
Ownership | |
Owner | China Central Television (Government of the People's Republic of China) |
CGTN (China Global Television Network), formerly known as CCTV-9 and CCTV News, is a Chinese international English-language news channel of the State-owned China Global Television Network group, part of the China Central Television (CCTV), based in Beijing. The channel was launched on 25 September 2000. Coverage includes newscasts, in-depth reports, and commentary programs, as well as feature presentations. Its free-to-air satellite signal can be received by more than 85 million viewers, in over 100 countries and regions.[1] It is focused towards the Chinese diaspora and English-speaking audience on the international ground.
History
CCTV began considering English-language international news programming on 1 January 1980, at the start of China's "Reform and opening up" period. English news bulletins began on CCTV-2 in 1986 and became available to overseas viewers when they moved to CCTV-4 in February 1991. CCTV-9 began broadcasting across China on 25 September 2000, becoming the country's first all-English television station.
On 1 January 2003, CCTV-9 entered the United States cable market, as part of a deal that allowed AOL, Time Warner, and News Corporation access to cable systems in Guangdong. In its early years, CCTV-9 broadcast English language news bulletins and cultural interest shows for most of each day, and aired mostly reruns during the overnight hours in China. One of its biggest projects was covering the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Until April 2010, CCTV-9 was a mixed general interest channel featuring news, travel programming, and language training. But on the 26th of that month, CCTV-9 was relaunched as a 24-hour English-language news service, and its name was changed to "CCTV News."[2]
On 31 December 2016 at midday Beijing time, the channel was relaunched as CGTN (China Global Television Network), and new programs debuted.
Revamp
The channel name of CCTV-9 was changed to CCTV News at 7 pm (Beijing Time) on 26 April 2010.[3] Some shows were rebranded while other new programs were added. The English website is managed by China Network Television (CNTV), a web streaming service of CCTV. On 1 January 2011, the channel's former name CCTV-9 was taken over by CCTV's two documentary channels.
With new faces, new studios, and new equipment, the channel's upper managers said they hoped to strengthen the network's news gathering abilities, while aiming to present more perspectives from throughout China, and across Asia, to the rest of the world.[4] The next steps in this process included hiring additional foreign correspondents and setting up a number of international bureaus.
On 6 February 2012, the channel launched “CCTV America” and a schedule of daily programming originating from a production center in Washington, D.C.[5] On 11 October 2012, CCTV News launched its Africa operation in Nairobi, Kenya.[6] CCTV News currently has three broadcast centers—Beijing (main), Nairobi, and Washington—with 70 additional bureaus across the globe.
The revamp also saw the permanent addition of news and world financial markets tickers, similar to those seen on leading news channels, although these features had already been used intermittently in the previous decade.
Programming
CGTN usually airs a live news bulletin in the first half of each hour. As well as a generic news program, there are specialist bulletins focusing on Chinese and Asian news, such as China 24 and business news BIZ ASIA. Programming in the second half of each hour includes, sports bulletins, a travel show called Travelogue which takes viewers to destinations around China and the world, and magazines covering the arts, science and sports.
The programs on CGTN include News Update and News Hour, providing comprehensive global coverage; and China 24 and Asia Today, delivering the latest domestic and regional developments. Specialized programs include Biz Asia, Biz Talk, New Money, Culture Express and Sports Scene, providing news and information on business, finance, economics, culture, and sports. Shows such as Dialogue and World Insight extend balanced and critical perspectives on current affairs affecting all corners of the globe.
CGTN also provides programs on culture, history, and modern society of China and Asia. In Crossover, hosts and guests of various backgrounds and experiences talk about issues throughout China. Travelogue is the ticket to dynamic and exciting landscapes in China and abroad. Rediscovering China explores contemporary Chinese and Asian culture and social changes through the eyes of international visitors. And Story Board delivers a visual profile of all Asian countries.
Current Programs
- Africa Live
- America's Now
- Asia Today
- Assignment Asia
- Big Story
- China 24
- China Insight
- Closer To China with Robert Kuhn
- Crossover
- Culture Express
- Dialogue with Yang Rui
- Faces of Africa
- Full Frame
- Global Business
- Global Watch
- Match Point
- My China
- New Money
- Rediscovering China
- Spectrum Asia
- Sports Scene
- Talk Africa
- The Heat
- The Link
- The Point with Liu Xin
- The World Today
- Travelogue
- World Insight with Tian Wei
Former Programs
- Around China
- Biz Asia
- Biz Asia America
- Biz China
- Biz Talk
- Centre Stage
- China Today
- China This Week
- Destination Brazil
- Documentary
- Game Time London
- Growing Up With Chinese
- Journeys in Time
- Kung Fu
- Learn Chinese
- Nature and Science
- New Frontiers
- News Desk
- News Hour
- News Update
- Seventeen Days In Beijing
- Story Board
- Tech Max
- Travel In Chinese
- Up Close
- World Wide Watch
Staff
The Chinese staff members at CGTN English range in experience from interns to media professionals with years in the business. Executive producers, producers and senior news anchors typically have higher education, often from universities in other countries. By 2007, the channel had about 300 staff members, of whom 70 were full-time with about 30 foreigners on contract. Ahead of the channel's 2010 relaunch, it began to hire foreign correspondents based in countries around the world, and in 2011 CCTV News started to hire English-speaking Chinese reporters based in 30 provincial bureaus across China.
Foreign news anchors
In addition to Chinese anchors, CGTN employs foreigners as news presenters, some of whom have extensive experience, such as Edwin Maher (a former newsreader and weatherman from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation), while others may be recent university graduates just embarking upon their careers.
Former comptroller Jiang Heping defended the policy of putting foreigners on air, arguing that “we feel international on-air personalities boost the credibility of CGTN and befit its image as an international channel. In this regard, CGTN will not restrict the origin of its employees and choose to build its unique identity through its programming.”[7]
The first foreign news anchor on what was then known as CCTV-9 was Chris Gelken, who joined the channel from Hong Kong's TVB and presented the 30-minute business show, BizChina. Gelken left CCTV News in 2005, and returned to TVB from 2010 to 2013.
Another prominent personality in CCTV-9's first decade was Mark Rowswell, otherwise known as Dashan. He hosted Travel in Chinese on CCTV News and has been honored for his work in promoting cancer awareness in China.[8]
In addition to those individuals, the channel later recruited Phillip Yin of Bloomberg Television, and Mike Walter from USA Today, to helm Biz Asia America and The Heat, respectively, when the Washington bureau opened in 2012.
The weather on CGTN is hosted by a rotating cast of presenters, so the staff changes on a frequent basis, partially because these updates are produced by an outside company which supplies content for several English-language media outlets around China.
CGTN Africa
CCTV Africa is China Central Television's news productions center which was launched in Kenya on 11 January 2012. CGTN Africa focuses on African news and perspectives as well as international news.
CGTN Africa is responsible for newsgathering and task assignments on the African continent. CGTN Africa initially produce a one-hour program every day, including Africa news, Talk Africa and Face of Africa editions, and broadcast through CGTN's English news channel.
CGTN America
CGTN America is the Americas division of CGTN the English-language news channel run by Chinese state broadcaster China Central Television. It is based in Washington, DC and runs bureaus across North and South America. The service employs a mix of American and Chinese journalists and produces Americas-based programming for CGTN and CCTV.
CGTN America is led by director general Ma Jing with veteran Asia journalist Jim Laurie as executive consultant. It began broadcasting on 6 February 2012.
Notable personalities
Current
- Daniela Anahi Bessia安达 — Main guest on CGTN Shows, and award winner Shanghai most influential people [9]
- Charlotte MacInnis — Crossover, Growing Up With Chinese
- Edwin Maher (previously with ABC and CRI) — News Hour, News Desk (formerly News Update, Asia Today, World Wide Watch, Biz China)
- Anand Naidoo (previously with CNN and Al Jazeera English) — The Heat
- Asieh Namdar (previously with CNN) — CGTN America News
- Susan E. Roberts (previously with WPRI-TV) — CGTN America News
- Laura Schmitt — Rediscovering China
- Mike Walter (previously with USA Today) — CGTN America News
- Yang Rui — Dialogue, New Money
- Phillip TK Yin (previously with Bloomberg TV) — Biz Asia America
- Jiaoyang (News Hour)
- Edward Eugene Lehman Registered Foreign Expert (SAFEA) and China Legal Expert Registered with CCTV News;— Legal Commentator on "CCTV Dialogue"[10]
Former
- Terry Baddoo (previously with CNN) — Game Time London
- James Chau (still a Special Contributor, previously with TVB Pearl) — China 24, Asia Today, News Updates, World Insight
- Marc Edwards (moved to France 24 and later BBC) — Travelogue
- Tracey Grebinski — Rediscovering China
- Tracey Holmes (still does occasional field reports, previously with CNN and Channel 7) — Sports Scene
- Michele Lean — Center Stage, Travelogue
- Mark Rowswell — Learn Chinese, Travel In Chinese
- Rui Chenggang — Biz Talk
Awards
In 2010, when the CCTV-NEWS because of its diversity in the global flow of information and broader vision won the 2010 Hot Bird TV award, the national window Award.[11]
The channel's Washington, DC based broadcast center, CGTN America, has won a News & Documentary Emmy for Jen Bricker: When Can't is a Four-Letter Word, and has also won multiple New York Festivals medals and White House News Photographers Association awards.
See full list here: CGTN America Awards
Criticisms
Despite its revamp launching of CCTV America, critics have voiced concerns over the level of self-censorship exercised by the channel, especially on sensitive domestic issues in China. Philip Cunningham of Cornell University, who has appeared more than 100 times on China Central Television talk shows said sensitive issues such as Tibet and Xinjiang were heavily edited on various programs.[12]{
Ma Jing, Director of CCTV America defends such allegation by saying that the channel edits stories the same way other news organizations do. She said: "We uphold the traditional journalistic values. We consider accuracy, objectivity, truthfulness, and public accountability very important, more important than anything else."[12]
See also
References
- ^ "About The Heat". Retrieved 5 May 2012.
- ^ "About CCTV News". Retrieved 21 August 2009.
- ^ CCTV News, Your Link to Asia Archived 12 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine CCTV Press Release, 26 April 2010
- ^ China's English news channel relaunches April 26 CCTV Press Release, 26 April 2010
- ^ About CCTV America CCTV America
- ^ About CCTV Africa CCTV Africa
- ^ Jiang Heping (2005). "Window on China and the World: CCTV News". In Sucharita S. Eashwar (ed.). Asia Media Summit 2005: Promoting Peace and Prosperity in a Globalised World (PDF). Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development. pp. 173–75. ISBN 983-41053-3-9. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 November 2007. Retrieved 13 September 2007.
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suggested) (help) - ^ Welter, Sophie. "China's Most Famous Foreigner to Receive Prestigious – Mark Rowswell ("Dashan") to be Honoured for Raising Awareness of Cancer in China". Retrieved 4 May 2007.
- ^ Jingya, Zhang. "Argentine singer earns fame on Chinese TV shows - CCTV News - CCTV.com English". english.cntv.cn.
- ^ "Homepage- Dialogue - CCTV NEWS - CCTV.com English - English_CCTV.com". CCTV.com English. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
- ^ "CCTV-News wins prize at Hot Bird TV awards 2010 CCTV News - CNTV English". Retrieved 30 January 2016.
- ^ a b "China's Programming for U.S. Audiences: Is it News or Propaganda?". PBS NewsHour. 22 March 2012. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
External links
- Use dmy dates from July 2013
- China Central Television channels
- External services (broadcasting)
- 24-hour television news channels in China
- English-language television stations
- Propaganda organisations
- Foreign television channels broadcasting in the United Kingdom
- Television channels in the Netherlands
- Television channels in Belgium
- Television channels in Flanders
- Television channels and stations established in 1997
- 1997 establishments in China