Change aims to increase China's soft power and better tell China's story
○ China will reform its publicity system, unifying State broadcasters and placing movies under more direct management of the publicity department
○ The change aims to increase China's soft power and better tell China's story to domestic and international audiences
○ China's State media will work with internet giants to better reach a younger audience
Experts say a massive new overhaul of China's publicity system will improve China's influence overseas and promote the nation's international image.
China will set up a powerful State-media conglomerate, unifying three heavyweight State-run broadcasters: China Central Television (CCTV), China Radio International (CRI), and China National Radio (CNR).
Called the "Voice of China," the new broadcaster will be directly managed by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, according to the reform plan on State and Party institutions released by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on March 21.
"We will strive to build a world-class, national 'aircraft carrier' of modern media, and complete the tasks handed over from the central government," Shen Haixiong, the head of the new media giant and former director of CCTV, said during a symposium on Thursday.
"The main responsibility will be to strengthen international communication, tell China's story well and increase China's soft power," Shen said.
In the meantime, China will dissolve the State Administration of Press, Publication, Film, Radio, and Television (SAPPFRT) and establish a State Administration of Radio and Television. Press, publication and film will be under the direct management of the Publicity Department.
Media synergy
Experts say the new national broadcaster will pool media resources, unify and hone China's media image and make Chinese media more capable in international communication.
"In the past, due to China's media system, Chinese media was managed vertically with little integration between different types of media platforms," Yin Hong, a professor with the School of Journalism and Communication at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times. "But a lot of foreign media companies are actually horizontally integrated, such as Times Warner, News Corporation and the BBC, which all have television, radio and digital platforms,"
"The synergy of three news organizations will combine their radio and television resources and personnel. The new platform will be more resourceful, making it a better platform to enhance China's international influence," he said.
The merger also comes at a time when the Chinese television industry has been badly bitten by the internet. With the rise of original talk shows and reality programs produced by online streaming sites such as iQiyi, traditional Chinese TV has increasingly lost ground.
IQiyi's programs such as U Can U Bibi and The Rap of China were phenomenal hits, attracting millions of views and discussions online.
While some youth- and entertainment-focused television stations, such as Hunan TV, have quickly adapted to the trend by establishing their own streaming sites with original content, CCTV has lagged far behind.
The new broadcaster aims to tackle this issue. In a symposium with CCTV's literary and art department on March 5, Shen called for more "phenomenal" television programs and the use of the latest technology to attract a younger audience.
"[You] should be good at dealing with competition under a new media environment," he said, according to the website of CCTV.
