ABSTRACT
Following a lengthy ten-year consideration period within the decision-making circles of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), China’s first 24-hour news channel (CCTV-News) entered the media scene on 1 May 2003. However, this new development has not necessarily been matched by an increase in the quality of news provision. The move is also regarded as a direct reaction to the Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV’s challenge in all aspects of television programming beyond the news. This chapter discusses the factors that led to the emergence of the new channel and also assesses problems associated with state-owned television networks in China. The discussion analyses the driving forces that underpinned the creation of the news channel (including demand for satisfactory coverage of news events, a change in the leadership of the CCP’s ‘thought work’ regime, economic changes and CCTV’s long-term strategic goals).
