For the past five weeks, 25 senior producers, mainly from the top channels of China Central Television, been hosted by the China Media Centre, as part of its programme of Innovation development courses for Chinese broadcasters.
As well as offering lectures by UK media experts, the course also aims to help the producers develop their new programme ideas, giving each development team a specialist mentor to provide creative and order zithromax discreetly production input. The ideas brought over by the Chinese visitors this time feature singing, travel, science, natural history, talk, and user-generated content, reflecting the wide range of topics covered by the 16 channels.
The ideas are already at an advanced stage of development, but the team might be looking for a signature element to help the show cut through the カマグラ competition, or for a way to engage younger viewers, who are increasingly attracted by the offerings of China’s online platforms. So, in truth, their concerns are often very similar to broadcasters the world over.
The job of the mentors is to provide advice and support, without trying to impose UK solutions on Chinese problems. Chinese viewers expect more variation in their formats, with scale and spectacle a key requirement, and celebrities more likely to appear in entertainment and reality shows than members of the public. There are also the more extensive requirements of the government regulator to take into account.
On the final day of the course, the development teams pitch their ideas to each other, with the mentors in attendance to ask questions and offer feedback. The standard is high, and none of the presentations would be out of place in a UK commissioner’s office.
Watching the skill and confidence of the pitching teams, it’s easy to foresee a time when TV formats originated in China will be joining those from Western nations in the global marketplace.
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