Staff Reporter
Want China Times
February 11, 2015
Chinese television airs an average of nearly 40 hours of military-related programs every day, according to a report from CSM, a media research company owned by state broadcaster CCTV.
In a review of 71 Chinese cities, CSM found as many as 40 military programs on regular TV schedules, with total military-related broadcasts reaching an average of 39.5 hours a day. This average has increased by more than 10 hours over the last two years, CSM added.
Domestic commentators in China say the programming is reflective of the country’s vigilance during peacetime, though the New York Times believes it is part of Beijing’s strategy of stirring up nationalism for domestic political purposes.
Dong Jiayao, chief of the information channel of Hong Kong’s Phoenix Television, says Chinese citizens have a lot pent up frustration and desire for their nation to be strong after recent centuries of foreign invasion. Military expert Song Zhongping on the other hand believes Chinese people have a desire to understand the current situation and development of the People’s Liberation Army given the ongoing instability around the country’s borders.
Another reason for the increase is Beijing’s lifting of restrictions on military programming, which had previously been the exclusive domain of CCTV. Military commentator Zhang Shaozhong has also stated that before 2003 only a select number of military experts were permitted to appear on TV and anything they said would have been vetted in advance by authorities.
The most popular military programs currently on air in China include the Military Observation Room, a regular ratings winner for Phoenix Television; Military Situation, a program produced by Shenzhen TV that frequently invites commentators from Hong Kong, Taiwan and the mainland, and Decoding Chinese Military Intelligence, developed by Beijing TV in conjunction with the PLA branch of the official Xinhua news agency.
