China Central Television facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
中国中央电视台
China Central Television

The China Central Television Headquarters in 2019
Type	State media
Country	China
First air date	1 May 1958; 67 years ago (1 May 1958)
Founded	Beijing
Headquarters	CCTV Headquarters, Beijing, People's Republic of China
Broadcast area	Worldwide
Owner	Publicity Department of the Chinese Communist Party
Parent	China Media Group
Former names	Beijing Television
Free channels	25
Pay channels	19
Callsigns	Voice of China (external)
Affiliation	China Global Television Network

China Media Group Headquarters

China Central Television (CCTV) is the main television broadcaster for China. It started in 1958. CCTV is run by the National Radio and Television Administration. This group works closely with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

CCTV does many things, like sharing news, teaching people, and providing entertainment. It plays a big role in how the Chinese government shares its messages. CCTV's news reports often focus on topics important to the Chinese government and the CCP.

History of CCTV

Early Days and Renaming

The idea for China to have its own TV station came from Mao Zedong in 1954. In 1955, plans were made to set up a television station. Premier Zhou Enlai included this plan in China's first five-year plan. Experts were sent to the Soviet Union and East Germany to learn about their TV stations.

On May 1, 1978, Beijing Television officially changed its name to China Central Television. A new logo was also shown.

Broadcasting and Growth

Until the late 1970s, CCTV only broadcast in the evenings. It usually stopped broadcasting around midnight. During school breaks and national holidays, it sometimes showed programs during the day.

In 1980, CCTV started trying out new ways to share news using microwave technology. That same year, it worked with Japan's NHK on a documentary series called Silk Road. In 1984, CCTV created a company called China International Television Corporation (CITVC).

By 1985, CCTV had become a very important TV network in China. In 1987, a TV show called Dream of the Red Chamber helped CCTV grow even more. This was the first Chinese TV drama to be shown around the world. In that year, CCTV sent over 10,000 shows to 77 TV stations in other countries.

In March 2018, CCTV became part of a new state-owned group called the China Media Group.

CCTV Around the World

CCTV also broadcasts to audiences outside China.

• In 1990, CCTV's company, CITVC, started China Television Corporation in California. This helped share CCTV content in the U.S.
• In 2000, CCTV launched its first all-English channel, called CCTV-9 or CCTV International.
• In 2001, China wanted to share its voice more with the world. CCTV partnered with companies like AOL Time Warner to deliver its programs in the U.S. and Europe.
• On April 1, 2007, the CCTV-4 channel split into three separate channels. Each channel served different parts of the world to better reach viewers everywhere.
• On July 25, 2009, CCTV launched an Arabic-language channel. This was to build stronger connections with Arab nations.
• In 2015 and 2018, CCTV signed agreements to work with the Russian state media outlet RT.
• In December 2016, CCTV's foreign language channels became a new network called China Global Television Network (CGTN).

China Network Television

China Network Television (CNTV) was an online broadcasting service for China Central Television. It started on December 28, 2009.

How CCTV is Organized

CCTV is part of the China Media Group (CMG). It is overseen by the National Radio and Television Administration. This administration reports to the Chinese Communist Party's Central Publicity Department. CCTV is one of the three biggest state media groups in China. The others are the People's Daily newspaper and Xinhua News Agency.

Leadership

The current president of CCTV is Shen Haixiong. He was appointed in February 2018.

CCTV Programs

CCTV creates its own news shows three times a day. It is the biggest producer of TV programs in China. Its main evening news show, Xinwen Lianbo (also known as "CCTV Network News"), airs every day at 7:00 pm Beijing time. All local TV stations in China must show this news program. About 500 million people across the country regularly watch it.

Focus, which started in 1994, is a popular CCTV show. It often highlights problems caused by local officials. This show gets a lot of attention from higher levels of government.

The CCTV New Year's Gala is a very special show that airs every year for the Chinese New Year. It is the most-watched CCTV program.

In 2003, CCTV launched its first 24-hour news channel. It was first available to people with cable TV.

Channels

CCTV has many different channels for various types of programs. You can find a full list at CCTV channels.

Who Watches CCTV?

As of 2007, about 1.2 billion people in China watched television. CCTV is very popular, but it also has competition from other TV networks. For example, in cities like Guangzhou and Shanghai, local TV stations sometimes have more viewers than CCTV. However, the CCTV New Year's Gala is still incredibly popular. More than 90% of TV viewers in China watch it.

CCTV Personalities

CCTV has many different hosts, news anchors, and reporters who appear on its programs every day.

See also

In Spanish: Televisión Central de China para niños

• Mass media in China
• Television in the People's Republic of China