SATELLITE & CABLE: BTV embarking on reforms to cope with new TV rules

Beijing TV (BTV) is embarking on a major reform of its production assets to prepare for the new policy, which will separate production and broadcast operations. The capital's biggest station has come up with a "dual approach" to the separation policy suggested by the State Administration of Radio, Film and TV (SARFT), according to BTV editor in chief Lu Ying. BTV built up one of China's largest in-house production operations since its establishment in 1979. Now, it plans to establish private production companies with the commission-driven programming model emerging in China. BTV will allocate some production talents to private production companies, which will be ultimately run on a market driven-model, said Ms Lu. She added BTV will continue to increase the volume of programming acquired from outside sources, and that the commission model and broadcast schedule will be directed by rating performance. Under the new policy, BTV will be left with the responsibility for broadcasting only, although news will still be produced in-house. Former in-house production divisions will be unbundled to become special production companies, which will operate independently and produce programmes for both BTV and other TV stations. Magazine TV show, China Entertainment Report, is a successful syndicated programme co-produced by key BTV producers and outside companies, demonstrating a viable blueprint for BTV's unbundled divisions. BTV 3 relaunched as BTV Science & Education Channel last December; and similar plans are expected for its second channel to rebrand as BTV Culture & Sports. BTV's programming sales and acquisition arm is being unbundled to be operated as the quasi-independent Yingshida Company, and BTV's international and overseas service departments will be merged with the overseas centre. As SARFT also plans to merge terrestrial and cable TV stations in the second phase of the policy to prevent a duplication and wastage of resources, BTV has started a series of small partnership projects with Beijing Cable TV. The key longer term project will be the construction of a brand new Beijing TV Centre opposite the World Trade Centre in eastern Beijing. Ms Lu told MEDIA, the convergence of media and telecom is an inevitable move and BTV agrees with SARFT's merger plan to avoid the duplication of TV resources. Meanwhile senior BTV executives, including Ms Lu, continue to keep an eye open for international cooperation within the strict boundaries dictated by state regulations. Animation and documentaries are two key areas that BTV is interested in seeking foreign partners, according to Ms Lu. She said China's TV distributors such as BTV's Yingshida Company should also provide export progammes for foreign audiences rather than to rely on translation services. Source: CMM Intelligence.

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