China Communication Forum 2001: Global Broadcasting and Television in Transition

Author: Hu Zhengrong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-08-01
Features: With the expansion of China's radio and television industry, especially after the interconnection of China's cable television networks, the launch and operation of China's own direct broadcast satellite television system, and the maturity of broadband network construction, the production, distribution, and consumption patterns of radio and television will undergo significant changes. In terms of production, industrial division, production methods, and production strategies all need to be adjusted. Before the consolidation, radio and television stations were both production and distribution departments. The radio and television industry had unclear industrial division and very low refinement. To date, China has not yet formed a relatively mature radio and television content production (program production) industry and market. The distribution link is not smooth, and the broadcast market is chaotic, with increasing repetition, similarity, and plagiarism of channels and programs. After consolidation, whether internally or externally within the group, the radio and television industry should quickly carry out industrial division. Support and cultivate China's radio and television content production industry to make it grow and mature, so that it can provide sufficient content products for the upcoming increase in channels and frequencies and the growing demand for content consumption. Strengthening one's own program production industry, including the program production industry formed by radio and television groups using their existing production capabilities, as well as the immature socialized and market-oriented production industry, may truly occupy one's own content consumption market with content products. Otherwise, after joining the WTO, the impact of foreign radio and television content will be unstoppable. This is because foreign media groups have strong capital, professional and highly skilled production capabilities, as well as globalized program distribution and publishing networks, making their content products highly competitive. Before consolidation, the production methods of radio and television stations were generally small-scale, self-sufficient, and workshop-style production under the small-peasant economy, with small scale, unscientific production links, and the production of rough, low-quality, and unprofessional programs, yet the production costs were not low. After consolidation, it is necessary to completely change this production method, establish sound production methods and mechanisms for frequencies, channels, and programs, shift from bottom-up to top-down, that is, the group unifies the research and design of all frequency, channel positioning, market size, and target audiences, and designs program and time structure accordingly, then proceed with production and distribution. The group's decision-making and management role has been highlighted, the operational role and status of frequencies and channels have been clarified, and the functions and roles of time slots and columns have become clear, thereby rationalizing the production and distribution process. The process of group consolidation and the issue of globalization China's radio and television group consolidation process is implemented against the backdrop of increasing media globalization. Therefore, on one hand, it will face some common problems that arise during international group consolidation, on the other hand, it will also encounter China-specific issues, such as how our groups can face the challenges of globalization, especially how to actively participate in the global competition. The current construction model of radio and television groups has solved the issue of internal resource reallocation. However, on the other hand, it has also, to some extent, led to the high concentration of resources, creating a new form of monopoly and reducing radio and television competition. This phenomenon has actually appeared in the group consolidation process of developed countries, and it is also an inevitable result of the media globalization process. To reduce excessive concentration and potential monopolies, it is necessary to allow for diversified radio and television group consolidation attempts, such as allowing cross-regional, cross-media, cross-industry, and multi-functional media group formations. Only in this way can China's radio and television industry truly grow and expand. While strengthening the political function of China's radio and television groups, it is also necessary to significantly improve their marketization level by addressing issues such as capital financing, market access, mergers, and integration, which is the foundation for competing with foreign media groups. The current operational strategy of China's radio and television groups is often a "push strategy," that is, organizing production based on existing resources, adapting to the market, and lacking creativity in competition. For future development, it is necessary to increase the use of a "pull strategy," that is, investigate the potential demand of the market and customers, explore resources internally and externally, organize production, and create and cultivate the market. In short, rather than passively adapting to the wave of globalization, it is better to actively engage in the media globalization process and allow some groups to cooperate with foreign groups to occupy the global market. Media segmentation and integration have become two major themes in global media development. China's radio and television groups also need to strengthen and expand in these two aspects to meet the challenges of an increasingly globalized and informatized economy and society. [Hu Zhengrong, Director of the Radio and Television Research Center, Beijing Broadcasting University]
I. The "Television Regulations" of the National Radio and Television Workers' Association Since the birth of radio broadcasting, self-regulation has accompanied it. This is because the "rare theory of radio wave resources," the foundation of the radio industry, conflicts with the free-market theory based on economic strength that journalism relies on, giving the government more reason to intervene in the regulation of electronic media, thus making electronic media more proactive in self-regulating. In 1979, the National Radio and Television Workers' Association formed a "special working group" under the Federal Communications Commission after an investigation found that most television stations basically complied with the National Radio and Television Workers' Association's guidelines for children's television advertising, gradually relaxing their "external constraints." However, with the establishment of the Federal Communications Commission in 1983,