Home>News Center>Life
         
 

On Chinese TV, what's cool is no longer correct
By Edward Cody (Washington Post)
Updated: 2005-09-30 09:21

The phenomenal number of viewers meant that advertising rates soared, beyond what China Central Television charges for spots on its most popular programs. The main sponsor, Mongolian Cow Dairy, went from third-largest to the largest dairy in the country during the show's run.


Li Xiang, the emcee of the 'Mongolian Cow Sour Yogurt Supergirl Contest' [sohu]
Sales more than doubled, according to the Shanghai Daily newspaper. The China Europe International Business School announced that it would make the "Supergirl" show a case study for its master of business administration program.

Worst of all to the Beijing officials who direct China's broadcasting, the show was emceed by Li Xiang, an edgy pop music hostess from the provinces who is well known for using Hong Kong and Taiwanese words as she banters with singing stars onstage. And the winner was a spike-haired, punky-looking Sichuan province student, Li Yuchun, who deviated so clearly from the standard of soft beauty espoused by China Central Television that bloggers described her as "boyish."

The new rules were issued a week after the finale and included a mention that "flirtatious and affected manners on stage" are also banned. Nevertheless, Li Yuchun announced plans to record an album and has scheduled promotional appearances across the country, including at the prestigious Peking University.

Yu Dan, director of a mass communications institute at Beijing Normal University, said the use of Taiwanese and Hong Kong phrases actually went out of fashion several years ago in big-city studios such as those in Beijing or Shanghai. A China Central Television producer agreed, saying the rage now is getting out of the studio to make audience participation programs in which the master of ceremonies is less important.

"But 70 percent of Chinese television stations are at the city or county level, and they don't have the money, the vision or the human resources to move forward," Yu said. "So their programs are stuck in the last century. They don't know how to renew their offerings."

The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television declined to comment on the new regulations, saying they were suggested by the equally official China Radio and Television Society, an association of industry workers. At the society, a spokeswoman queried by telephone and fax said officials were unable to provide an immediate comment but were working on one.


Page: 12



Giant panda cub gets vaccination
Get united to combat AIDS/HIV
Fashion show
  Today's Top News     Top Life News
 

Suicide bombers blamed for carnage on Bali

 

   
 

President Hu stresses scientific development

 

   
 

Typhoon Longwang hits Fujian after Taiwan

 

   
 

Wen visits rural residents on National Day

 

   
 

China may have world's biggest steelmaker

 

   
 

21 die as tour boat capsizes on US lake

 

   
  Taxi drops pregnant woman, baby dies
   
  Paris Hilton: "I'm not ready for marriage"
   
  TV trumps holiday travels
   
  Study reveals how your brain sleeps
   
  S.Korean soap opera sparks boom in China
   
  Strangers die in Britain's 'first' online suicide pact
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  Related Stories  
   
'Super Girls' smash ticket sales record for Shanghai show
   
Popularly-voted 'Super Girls' sizzle China so
   
Super Girls mugs tap the Hangzhou market
   
'Super girl' souvenirs on sale online
   
Super Girls: boon or farce?
   
Li Xiang denies rumor about unhappy marriage
   
Li Xiang marries jewelry bigwig
  Feature  
  Could China's richest be the tax cheaters?  
Advertisement