Picture courtersy of Kyle Westgard

Denver Form Tunes Into Chinese TV
by Randy Chun
April 14, 2002

On Thursday, March 28, 2002, the people of Denver had a rare opportunity to hear two very influential women in China’s television industry discuss their views on "The Changing Face of the Chinese Television Industry: Prospects and Challenges." Chen Xiaowei, Producer and Anchor, China Central Television (CCTV) and Michelle Sie Whitten, President and CEO of Denver-based Encore International, Inc. spoke at the Denver China Forum held on the University of Denver campus.

As one of the leading anchors in Chinese television, Ms. Chen was once described as "Larry Queen," comparing her influence to that of Larry King of American television. This recognition is due in part to the fact that, as anchor for CCTV, she reaches an audience of 1.2 billion in TV-centric China. As a producer she has developed news and stories on events affecting the entire country. As creator and producer, she has interviewed world leaders and heads of state in her award–winning weekly program "Sunday Topics."

Chen outlined the transformation of China’s television industry from its inception in the 1950s, with CCTV as the only station, to 2002 where there are 12 primary stations and numerous cable stations throughout the country. During the early years, television broadcasts consisted primarily of propaganda, news and educational programs. In 1976, Chairman Deng Xiao Peng created the "openness" policy for China’s television industry that allowed for imports of TVs and resulted in the first paid commercial in 1979.

Michelle Sie Whitten noted that she began working in the media industry in China about ten years ago, as China’s television industry was gradually transformed from a government-controlled system to one with more commercial programming and non-government influence.

As CEO, she built Encore International into a leading provider of foreign programs to the Chinese market where today, foreign programs make up between 30% and 50% of programming. Encore International brings between 50 and 75 foreign films to China each year. Chinese viewers are introduced to a wide range of American entertainment and English-language programs. Whitten estimates there are over 350 million television sets in China. She noted that there are over 100 million cable households in China – the U.S. only has 60 million cable households.

Picture courtersy of Kyle Westgard

Following her overview of China’s recent television history, Whitten discussed China’s admission to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the indirect impacts such as "more attention to legal contracts, learning English and developing more of a market economy mentality."

She cautioned against exaggerated expectations of return on investment in China’s media sector resulting from the publicity surrounding the WTO Accession and Beijing’s winning bid for the 2008 Olympics. Though there is no doubt that there will be significant revenues generated from terrestrial broadcasters, cable TV, broadband services and IP Telephony, the question, Whitten observed, is "how and when."

The influence of these two women is strongly felt in the U.S. and in particular, in Denver. Encore International is an affiliate of Denver-based Starz Encore, a principle provider of cable TV entertainment programs in the U.S. Questions and comments raised during the question and answer portion of the program reflected the strong influence and admiration of young Asians who look upon both Chen and Whitten as effective and dynamic leaders in their fields.

This symposium was the third in a series of five co-sponsored by Denver University’s Center for China-United States Cooperation in the Graduate School of International Studies and the Denver Mayor’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade. The Forum features prominent scholars, government officials, business leaders and other professions addressing issues related to China and China-US relations. Previous speakers included Wei Ruixing, Consul General of China and Jia Qinggua, Professor and Associate Dean of Beijing University. For more information on upcoming talks, please contact the Executive Director, Dr. Sam S. Zhao (szhao@du.edu) or Dr. Tom Farer, Dean of the School of International Studies (tfarer@du.edu).