Phoenix Television

Phoenix Television is a partially state-owned television network that offers Mandarin and Cantonese-language channels that serve the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and other markets with substantial Chinese-language viewers. It is operated by Phoenix Satellite Television Holdings Ltd, a television broadcaster with headquarters in Mainland China and Hong Kong. It is also registered in Cayman Islands.[2]

Phoenix Satellite Television Holdings Limited
Native name
鳳凰衛視控股有限公司
TypePublic; State-owned enterprise
(SEHK: 2008)
IndustryBroadcasting
Founded1996
HeadquartersShenzhen, Mainland China
Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong
Key people
Liu Changle (Chairman and chief executive officer),
Chui Keung (Deputy chief executive officer, Chief Compliance Officer),
Liu Shuang (Chief Operating Officer of Phoenix Satellite TV, CEO of Phoenix New Media)
ProductsTelevision content, Television programming
RevenueHK$1,530m (2009)[1]
HK$325m (2009)[1]
HK$299m (2009)[1]
Owners
  • Today's Asia Limited (37.13%)
  • Extra Step Investments Limited (19.69%)
  • TPG China Media, L.P. (12.16%)
  • China Wise International Limited (8.25%)
Phoenix Chinese Channel
CountryChina
Broadcast areaWorldwide
Ownership
OwnerPhoenix Television
Sister channelsPhoenix InfoNews Channel
Phoenix Chinese News and Entertainment Channel
Phoenix North America Chinese Channel
Phoenix Movies Channel
Phoenix Hong Kong Channel
History
Launched31 March 1996
Closed1 July 2020 (SD feed, Brunei and Malaysia)
Availability
Cable
Sky Cable (Philippines)Channel 90 (Phoenix Chinese Channel), Channel 89 (Phoenix InfoNews Channel)
Destiny Cable (Philippines)90 (Phoenix Chinese Channel), Channel 89 (Phoenix InfoNews Channel)
First Media (Indonesia)Channel 203 (Phoenix Chinese Channel), Channel 202 (Phoenix InfoNews Channel)
TrueVisions (Thailand)Channel 779 (Phoennix InfoNews Channel)
Cable TV Hong Kong (Hong Kong)Channel 376
Macau Cable TV (Macau)Channel 14 (HD)
Cablelink (Philippines)Channel 250
MediaNet (Maldives)Channel 131
Satellite
Astro (Malaysia)Channel 325 (HD)
NJOIChannel 325 (HD)
Skynindo
(Indonesia)		Channel 18 (HD 800/77/99)
Channel 69 (C01/C02)
Cignal
(Philippines)		Channel 174 (SD)
Channel 278 (HD)
TransVision
(Indonesia)		Channel 382 (HD)
IPTV
Now TV (Hong Kong)Channel 548
StarHub TV (Singapore)Channel 805
Phoenix Chinese Channel
Traditional Chinese鳳凰衛視中文台
Simplified Chinese凤凰卫视中文台
Alternative Chinese name
Traditional Chinese鳳凰衛視
Simplified Chinese凤凰卫视

The CEO and founder of Phoenix TV, Liu Changle (劉長樂), was an officer and political instructor in the People's Liberation Army in its 40th Group Army.[3] He later became a journalist for the Chinese Communist Party-controlled China National Radio after the Cultural Revolution and remains well-connected to the Party's leadership.[4] Liu is a standing member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.[5]

Phoenix Television calls itself a Hong Kong media[6][7] and holds a non-domestic television programme services license in Hong Kong.[8] Most of the company's customers and non-current assets come from Mainland China.[9] Freedom House describes the Phoenix Television as pro-Beijing.[10]

The company's head offices are located in Shenzhen, China and Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong and it also has correspondent offices in Beijing and Shanghai. The Shenzhen office is said to produce half its TV output.[11]

History
The China Phoenix Building is the Shenzhen headquarters of Phoenix Television

What eventually became Phoenix Television started as a joint venture between STAR TV in Hong Kong, one private company in China, and China Central Television.[12]

Phoenix Chinese Channel was launched on 31 March 1996. It replaced Star Chinese Channel in Hong Kong and Mainland China; Star Chinese Channel remained available to the viewers in Taiwan and some parts of Mainland China.

Phoenix Chinese Channel, Phoenix Movies Channel and Phoenix InfoNews Channel are broadcast via cable in Hong Kong and via satellite to Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Mainland China and other regions globally.

The Phoenix InfoNews Channel was established on 1 January 2001. It was the first Chinese-language channel to cover news from the regions of Greater China, including mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. It offers 24-hour financial news, stock market information and global news headlines, supported by expert comment and analysis.

In January 2003, the Chinese State Administration of Radio, Films and Television (SARFT) granted landing rights (Chinese: 落地權) to Phoenix InfoNews Channel.

The Phoenix CNE channel broadcasts in Europe, while the Phoenix North America Chinese Channel goes out in the Americas. In 2005, a California-based broadcast and engineering director for the channel, Tai Wang Mak, was arrested for conspiring with his brother, Chi Mak, to act as an intelligence agent for China. A 10-year prison sentence was announced in 2008.[13][14]

On 28 March 2011, Phoenix Television launched Phoenix Hong Kong Channel, broadcasting exclusively in Cantonese.[15]

In 2011, Phoenix New Media formed a partnership with the BBC to offer the British broadcaster's programming on Phoenix's digital media platforms. This was followed by a similar partnership with the National Film Board of Canada in 2012, under which 130 NFB animated shorts and documentary films would be offered digitally in China.[16]

In October 2013, the 12.15% of shares in Phoenix Television held by 21st Century Fox (through Star) were sold to TPG Capital for HK$1.66 billion (about US$213 million).[17][18][19][20] This and the 2014 sale of Star China Media marked 21st Century Fox's exit from the Mandarin entertainment television market in mainland China.

In February 2016, Phoenix Television broadcast forced confessions of kidnapped Hong Kong booksellers.[21][22][23]

In April 2020, Senator Ted Cruz announced that he would introduce legislation to mandate that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) revoke the broadcast license of a radio station, XEWW-AM, linked to Phoenix Television, which he claimed to have used radio towers in Mexico to skirt U.S. prohibitions against foreign propaganda dissemination.[24] In June 2020, the FCC ordered XEWW-AM to cease broadcasting.[25]

Channels

Phoenix TV operates the following channels:

  1. Phoenix Chinese Channel, launched March 1996, in China
    • Phoenix Chinese Channel Australia Edition, launched August 1999
    • Phoenix Chinese Channel Japan Edition, launched September 2009
  2. Phoenix Movies Channel, launched August 1998. It is now an encrypted pay-television service in China and worldwide.
  3. Phoenix InfoNews Channel, launched January 2001, a 24-hour news channel.
  4. Phoenix North America Chinese Channel, launched January 2001, which now broadcasts on both EchoStar and DirectTV satellite systems and shares programming with "Phoenix Chinese News and Entertainment Channel" (Phoenix CNE Channel).
  5. Phoenix Chinese News and Entertainment Channel (also known as Phoenix CNE Channel), launched August 1999, which is now a 24-hour channel based in London and broadcast via satellite Eurobird 1 across Europe.
  6. Phoenix Hong Kong Channel, launched on 28 March 2011, a Cantonese channel.

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 of both Chinese and foreign origin.

Since 1 September 2001, Phoenix Television has broadcast a range of United Nations television programming including 57 episodes of "UN in Action", 39 episodes of "World Chronicle", and several award-winning documentaries. Phoenix is co-operating with the United Nations to produce further programmes.

A paid-for Phoenix service uses WAP, which facilitates news messages over (SMS and MMS) mobile technology.

Corporate governance

Ownership

At launch, Star TV and a private sector company in China each owned 45% of the company, and state broadcaster China Central Television owned the remaining 10%.[12]

The original News Corporation's (and subsequently 21st Century Fox's) shares in Phoenix Television held through Star were gradually reduced over the years. Finally, 21st Century Fox sold its shares to TPG Capital in October 2013.[17][18][19][20]

According to the company's 2018 annual report, the company is owned by the following entities:[2]

Name Shares Percentage Note
Today's Asia Limited 1,854,000,000 37.13% A company beneficially owned by Liu Changle (100%).
Extra Step Investments Limited 983,000,000 19.69% A company owned by China Mobile Hong Kong, which is a part of state-owned China Mobile.
TPG China Media, L.P. 607,000,000 12.16% Part of TPG Capital and beneficially controlled by David Bonderman and James Coulter.[2]
China Wise International Limited 412,000,000 8.25% China Wise is owned by Bank of China, which is owned by Central Huijin Investment, a subsidiary of the government's China Investment Corporation sovereign wealth fund, which reports to the State Council of the People's Republic of China.

Management

Liu Changle (劉長樂), CEO and founder of Phoenix TV, was a journalist for the Chinese Communist Party-controlled China National Radio after the Cultural Revolution and had become one of China's richest men by the 1990s, being well-connected to the Beijing leadership.[3][4]

Shuang Liu (刘爽) became COO of Phoenix TV on 17 February 2014. He continues to be the CEO of Phoenix New Media Ltd (NYSE: FENG), a new media company in China.[26]

Former director of Phoenix TV news Chung Pong testified under oath that Phoenix TV news’ programing was "subject to the dictates of the leadership of the Central Communist Propaganda Department, Central Communist Overseas Propaganda Office, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."[27]

Key staff

Mandarin news anchors

Phoenix Television features many well-known news anchors and talk show hosts. Most are bilingual in Mandarin Chinese and English.

Some of their key news presenters are:

  • Angela Chow (周瑛琦)
  • Anthony Yuen (阮次山): Yuen is editor-in-chief and current affairs anchor of Phoenix Television.
  • Celia Li (李源), MC for Miss Chinese Cosmos European Pageant finals hosts news programmes 'Europe Today', 'FT Weekly' and 'EuroChina Business Report'. Based in London, she regularly interviews world political and business leaders.
  • Chen Luyu (陈鲁豫): Luyu hosts a popular talk show A Date With Luyu and is likened to an "Oriental Oprah".
  • Chen Xiaonan (陳曉楠)
  • Huang Haibo (黃海波)
  • Dou Wentao (竇文濤), born 21 August 1967, in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, is famous for his weekday talk show Behind the Headlines with Wentao (锵锵三人行).
  • Hu I-Hu (Tiger Hu) (胡一虎): Hu has interviewed the South African ex-President Nelson Mandela. He has been "the most popular reporter in Taiwan" for five years.
  • Liu Hai-Jo (劉海若): Liu was traumatically injured in a railway accident in the United Kingdom in 2002 and later woke from a coma at Beijing People's Hospital. The channel has broadcast updates on her recovery.
  • Luqiu Luwei (閭丘露薇): Luqiu was the first Chinese female reporter to go to Iraq during the Iraq War. Luqiu's contributions on reporting the Iraq War and SARS have been praised by PRC Chairman Hu Jintao.
  • Shen Xing (沈星)
  • Wu Hsiao-Li (Sally Wu) (吳小莉): Former PRC prime minister Zhu Rongji has said that he watched her news broadcast daily.
  • Xu Gehui (許戈輝)
  • Yang Shu (Susie Yang) (杨舒)
  • Yuchi Lingjia (尉遲琳嘉)
  • Zeng Zimo (曾子墨)
  • Mengru Zhao (赵梦如)

Cantonese news anchors
  • Jo Ngai Yi-shan (魏綺珊)
  • Toni Wong Shan (黃珊)
  • Vienna Cheuk Lai-man (卓麗雯)

References
  1. "Annual Results Announcement for the Year Ended 31 December 2009" (Press release). Phoenix Satellite Television Holdings Ltd. 18 March 2010. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 21 May 2010.
  2. "Annual Report" (PDF). 2018. pp. 137–138. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  3. Zhang, Wenxian; Wang, Huiyao; Alon, Ilan (6 May 2011). Entrepreneurial and Business Elites of China: The Chinese Returnees Who Have Shaped Modern China. Emerald Group Publishing. p. 98. ISBN 978-0-85724-089-7. OCLC 860625448.
  4. Pan, Philip P. (19 September 2005). "Making Waves, Carefully, on the Air in China". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 14 July 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  5. "Liu Changle". World Economic Forum. Archived from the original on 3 March 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  6. "'Do you work for China?': Trump confronts Hong Kong-based reporter during coronavirus briefing". Washington Examiner. 7 April 2020. Archived from the original on 29 April 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  7. 胡一虎提问总理 抛情怀攀老乡, archived from the original on 4 April 2020, retrieved 28 April 2020
  8. "Non-domestic Television Programme Service". Communications Authority. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  9. "ANNUAL RESULTS ANNOUNCEMENTFOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2019" (PDF).
  10. Cook, Sarah (4 May 2017). "Chinese Government Influence on the U.S. Media Landscape" (PDF). Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  11. "Half of Phoenix Television programs are produced in Shenzhen" (in Chinese). ifeng.com. 26 March 2010. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 21 May 2010.
  12. Farley, Maggie (23 February 1996). "Star TV, Chinese Firm Reportedly in Joint Venture". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  13. Bill Gertz (18 September 2006),ENEMIES Archived 3 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine The Washington Times
  14. Josh Gerstein (22 April 2008), Chinese Spy Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison Archived 3 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine The New York Sun
  15. "凤凰卫视将开播香港台 以广东话进行广播". Archived from the original on 16 February 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  16. Kushigemachi, Todd (12 June 2012). "Canucks find first TV niche in China". Variety. Archived from the original on 16 June 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2012.
  17. "TPG to Acquire 21st Century Fox’s Stake in Phoenix Satellite Television Holdings Limited Archived 2 January 2019 at the Wayback Machine" (press release) TPG Capital; 21st Century Fox Business Wire 18 October 2013
  18. Tan, Clement "TPG pays Murdoch unit $214 million for Chinese media company stake Archived 22 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine" Reuters 19 October 2013
  19. Joshua, Fellman "TPG China Media Buys Remaining Fox Stake in Phoenix Satellite TV Archived 2 January 2019 at the Wayback Machine" Bloomberg L.P. 18 October 2013
  20. Frater, Patrick "21st Century Fox Sells Phoenix Stake Archived 2 January 2019 at the Wayback Machine" Variety 22 October 2013
  21. "HK bookseller: TV confession 'forced'". BBC News. 16 June 2016. Archived from the original on 2 November 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  22. Zheping, Huang (1 August 2016). "China is using Hong Kong's media to broadcast its smear campaigns". Quartz. Archived from the original on 13 April 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  23. Cook, Sarah (4 May 2017). "Chinese Government Influence on the U.S. Media Landscape" (PDF). United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 April 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  24. Kredo, Adam (24 April 2020). "Cruz Seeks to Shut Down Chinese Propaganda Station Phoenix TV". The Washington Free Beacon. Archived from the original on 27 April 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  25. Shepardson, David (22 June 2020). "FCC orders radio station in Mexico to halt broadcast of Chinese programs to U.S." Reuters. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  26. "凤凰新媒体 Phoenix New Media - Investor Relations - Company News". ir.ifeng.com. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  27. Everington, Keoni. "CCP reporter who told Trump he was from Taiwan faces stiff fine". www.taiwannews.com.tw. Taiwan News. Archived from the original on 20 April 2020. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
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