Mouse Zedong? Disney Opens Its Gates In Hong Kong
Mickey Mouse finally set his foot on the land of China, as Hong Kong Disneyland opened to public this Monday. As suggested by this article from the Guardian Unlimited, it is considered a perfect meeting between the Western and Chinese ideologies. With great expectations placed on the profitability of this largest amusement park in China, there were doubts about the return on investment, along with concerns about U.S. cultural invasion.
Disney Takes Exception to China’s Media Rules
With the grand opening of Hong Kong Disneyland, Disney has made one major step into the Chinese media market. However, the company is not planning to open another resort in mainland China before Disney characters and programs have a better chance to appear on Chinese television. This article from the New York Times may give you some thoughts on Disney’s current situation and future strategies in the greater China region.
China’s Shanda & Government Team Up For Patriotic Online Games
Following a previous posting about government funding in China’s online gaming industry, it seems that the investment from the government serves multiple purposes. Other than monetary compensations, Chinese authorities also try to infuse ideological elements to online games in cooperation with major companies. Based on this news story from Forbes.com, new games are being developed which will have a revolutionary theme with national heroes and their stories.
China Changing Channels
As seen in a previous posting, “Super Voice Girls,” or the Chinese version of “American Idol,” has been the hottest TV show in China over the past year. With its widespread popularity and skyrocketing advertising revenues, the show’s impact is deep enough to upset the national broadcaster, China Central Television (CCTV), who has been a monopoly in the Chinese TV market with government funding and other privileges. The Hollywood Reporter has an in-depth report about the structure of the TV industry in China with a detailed introduction of CCTV.
Star TV Falls Back Down To Earth In China
Murdoch’s News Corporation has been one of the most active in the Chinese media market among all global media leaders. But there are always bumps on the road, as one of the company’s most hopeful projects in China was aborted due to the government’s recent policy of tightened control over foreign media. Following last week’s posting, this article from FT.com offers further details and background stories related to News Corporation’s endeavors in China.
“It would be hugely difficult for Beijing to halt reform completely. The digitalisation of China’s TV network is set to create huge demand for content that local companies will struggle to meet alone. And many influential state-controlled companies yearn for the chance to win foreign investors and set up joint ventures with industry leaders.”