Phoenix Television

Phoenix Television (鳳凰衛星電視) is a Hong Kong-based television broadcaster that aims to promote a free flow of information and entertainment within the Greater China region. It has 5 different television channels. Phoenix Television is well-known of providing Infotainment programmes with popular 'Star' Anchors and talk show hosts. Being on good terms with the People's Republic of China government, it is one of the few non-government related television broadcasters in mainland China and has been able to broadcast information about events not covered by the government media, such as the coverage on the Against Basic Law Article 23 Rally on 1 July 2003.

Table of contents

1 Channels
2 History
3 Programmes
4 Corporation

4.1 Ownership
4.2 Management

5 Specialities of Phoenix Televisions

5.3 News Anchor Stars
5.4 Close Relationship with Mainland
5.5 Hong Kong Televison?

6 Prospects of Phoenix Television
7 External links

Channels

Phoenix TV has

Phoenix Chinese Channel, launched on 31st March 1996, one of the long-term foreign broadcasters in China
Phoenix Movie Channel, launched on 28th August 1998. It is now in its 5th year of operation as an encrypted pay-television service in China and worldwide.
Phoenix InfoNews Channel, launched on 1st January 2001, a twenty-four-hour news channel.
Phoenix North America Chinese Channel, launched on 1st January 2001, which now broadcasts on both EchoStar and DirectTV satellite systems and shares the same programming with Phoenix Chinese News and Entertainment Channel.
Phoenix Chinese News and Entertainment (CNE) Channel, also launched in August 1999, which is now a 24 hour channel based in London and broadcasting via satellite Eurobird D6 across Europe.

History

Phoenix started Phoenix Chinese Channel on 31 March 1996. During these years, the development of satellite allowed them to expand their broadcast to 53 countries and regions with more than 20 billion viewers worldwide, of which more than 62% are Chinese-speaking people. It covers over 42 million households with more than 150 million viewers from the Mainland China.

Phoenix Chinese Channel, Phoenix Movie Channel and Phoenix InfoNews Channel are broadcasting via cable in Hong Kong and via satellite to Taiwan, mainland China and other regions worldwide.

The Phoenix InfoNews Channel was established in 1 Jan 2001. It was the first Chinese language channel that covered news among Greater China regions, including mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. There is 24-hour broadcasting on financial news, stock market information as well as news headlines worldwide. In addition, it provides comments and analysis prepared by analysts on current issues and topics.

In order to strive for diversity, the Phoenix CNE channel, broadcasted in Europe, and Phoenix North America Channel, which is the first Chinese language channel that is available across North America, were established.

Programmes

Phoenix features a mix of programmes, ranging from political and economic news and current affairs through talk shows, film and music reviews to movies, and mini series in both Chinese and foreign origins.

Since 1 September 2001, Phoneix Television has been broadcasting a range of United Nations television programme including 57 episodes of "UN in Action", 39 episodes of "World Chronicle", and also some awarded-winning documentaries. Phoneix is cooperating with the United Nations to produce more programmes.

The sevice of Phoenix is extended to WAP, which facilitates news messages transferred through the mobile technology (SMS and MMS). The service is charged.

Corporation

Ownership

Phoenix Satellite Television holdings Ltd is a public limited company free from the control of any government. It was launched as a joint venture between Satellite Television Asian Region, Bank of China and Liu Changle, a Chinese businessman. It is listed on the Hong Kong Growth Enterprise Market (GEM) (創業版)(Code:08002) since 30 June 2000 sponsored by Bank of China International Asia Ltd (中銀國際亞洲有限公司) and Merrill Lynch Far East Ltd. (美林遠東有限公司) The two major shareholders are News Corporation and Today's Asia, owning 75% of Phoenix Television and public investors hold 16.4% of Phoenix shares outstanding.

Management

Liu Changle (劉長樂), the CEO and founder of Phoenix TV said Phoenix TV is "developing a global outlook and independent of local political attachment".

Other key members in Phoenix Television's management include:

Mr. Leung Noong Kong (梁濃剛), Deputy Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Wang Jiyan (王紀言), Executive Vice President
Mr. Yeung Ka Keung (楊家強), Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President
Mr. Roger T. Uren, Vice President on International Affairs

Specialities of Phoenix Televisions

News Anchor Stars

Phoneix Chinese Television features many well-known news anchors, talk show hosts as their 'STAR PRESENTERS'. Most of them are degree holders in communications or language studies. Some of the top 'star presenters' are

Wu Xiao Li(吳小莉)
Wu was mentioned by former prime minister Zhu Rong Ji in a press conference that he watched her broadcasted news everyday.
Hu Yi Fu(胡一虎)
- Hu is the reporter who did interviewed the South Africa ex-Presdient Mr.Mandela. He is also the reporter who has being " the most popular reporter in Taiwan" for 5 years.
Dou Wentao(竇文濤)
Xu Gehui (許戈輝)
Luqiu Luwei(閭丘露薇)
- Lu is the first Chinese female reporter went to Iraq in the flames of war
- Lu's contributions on reporting Iraq wars and SARS are praised by PRC Chairman Hu Jin Tao.
Liu Hai Ruo(劉海若)
- Liu was traumatically injured in a railway accident in the United Kingdom in 2002 and surprising survived after transferring to Beijing People's Hospital.
- The channel has broadcasted updates of her recovering progress.

Close Relationship with Mainland

Phoenix has good relationships with the PRC government. In January 2003, the Chinese State Administration of Radio, Films and Television (SARFT) (中國國家廣播電影電視總局) granted landing rights (落地權) to Phoenix InfoNews Channel, making it one of the few non-government related television broadcasters in mainland China able to broadcast information about events not covered by the government media, such as the coverage on the Against Basic Law Article 23 Rally on 1 July 2003.

Hong Kong Televison?

Most mainland and Taiwan audiences view Phoenix Television as their only source of information related to Hong Kong though not many Hong Kong citizens are watching Phoenix Television for a few reasons:

Phoenix channels are only available for Hong Kong audiences who have installed satellite or paid for Cable TV (around 600,000 out of 7 million Hong Kong population, according to AC Nielsen), therefore it is far behind popular free channels like TVB and ATV.
Many Phoenix programmes are designed for the interest of mainland and Taiwan audiences, Hong Kong people are generally less interested in political news.
Phoenix broadcasts in Mandarin Chinese, which is less common in Hong Kong than Cantonese is the major dialect used in Hong Kong.

Prospects of Phoenix Television

Xinhuanet describes both the pros and cons of Phoenix Television:
- They are good at creating mood in the scenes to touch their audiences, especially when it is a live performance.
- The lack of capital is making perfect production a little bit difficult.
According to the China Economic Review 2003, Phoenix TV has set up a joint venture with Guangdong Television Broadcasting Development Centre to sell advertising and programming to Chinese broadcasters. This could help in generating more income from advertisements and ease their capital needs.
As stated in its 2003 annual report, Phoenix:
- Further expands its market share in mainland China.
- Continues to focus on educated young executives aged below 40 with high income level in mainland as its target audiences.
- Has started up a production center in Shenzhen to facilitate their operations in mainland China at lower costs.
- Develops its services through other media such as the internet, Phoenix weekly magazine, and bookstores.