Television

Below is a quick post on television here in China.  China Central Television (CCTV) is the major state television broadcaster in mainland China.  Most channels consist of Chinese soaps and entertainment shows which I really have no interest in.  Even though they’re in Chinese, you can still tell they’re not up to U.S. standards in terms of quality.  I watch about 4 channels out of like 60.  One is China’s MTV.  Sometimes they show American bands or pop but it’s usually Chinese acts that are just dreadful.  I only watch it because I don’t have many options.  Another is a channel that sometimes shows American shows or movies.  Sometimes in English, sometimes not.  Sometimes they’ll show a movie from HBO or a National Geographic documentary.  Other times they have even shown MLB or NFL highlights from a week or two in the past with Chinese commentary.  There is a 24/7 sports channel in Chinese that usually shows soccer, volleyball, table tennis, and various international (basketball, gymnastics, skating, etc.) sporting events.  As you can see from the one pic below, they did show the World Series games live which was great even though the games were with Chinese commentary.  But the channel I watch the most is the 24-hr CCTV News, which is an English international news channel.  It usually shows live news at the top of every hour and then various other news during the second half.  I wouldn’t call it a true news channel as it’s still controlled by the state and I have read the journalists are always under pressure to report China in a positive light.  However, it’s better than nothing, and I was pleasantly surprised when they showed extensive 9-11 coverage (as you can see from the pics below) earlier this year to commemorate the tenth anniversary.  I do miss watching my American sports & shows but I really can’t complain.  I do not pay for it, my school does.