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Phoenix Television

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the Chinese-language television broadcaster indirectly owned by the government of the People's Republic of China. For the unrelated German parliamentary television channel, see Phoenix (German TV channel). For other uses, see Phoenix.

Phoenix Media Investment (Holdings) Limited
Native name
鳳凰衛視投資（控股）有限公司
Company typePublic; State-owned enterprise
SEHK: 2008
NYSE: FENG
IndustryBroadcasting
Founded31 March 1996; 29 years ago (1996-03-31)
HeadquartersShenzhen, Guangdong, China
Tai Po, Hong Kong
Key people
Liu Changle (Founder; former 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
ParentBauhinia Culture
Websitewww.ifeng.com Edit this at Wikidata
Phoenix Chinese Channel
CountryChina
Broadcast areaWorldwide
Programming
Picture formatHDTV 1080i
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
ReplacedStar Chinese Channel
Phoenix Chinese Channel
Traditional Chinese鳳凰衛視中文台
Simplified Chinese凤凰卫视中文台
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinFènghuáng Wèishì Zhōngwén Tái
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutpingfung6 wong4 wai6 si6 zung1 man4 toi4
Alternative Chinese name
Traditional Chinese鳳凰衛視
Simplified Chinese凤凰卫视
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinFènghuáng Wèishì
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutpingfung6 wong4 wai6 si6

Phoenix Television is a majority state-owned television network that operates Mandarin and Cantonese-language channels serving mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and other regions with significant Chinese-speaking audiences. It is headquartered in Shenzhen and Hong Kong and is also registered in the Cayman Islands.[1]

The network was founded by Liu Changle (劉長樂), who previously served as an officer and political instructor in the People's Liberation Army with the 40th Group Army.[2] Following the Cultural Revolution, Liu worked as a journalist for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-controlled China National Radio and maintained close ties with the CCP leadership.[3] He is also a standing member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.[4]

Phoenix Television identifies itself as a Hong Kong media organisation,[5] but it holds a non-domestic television programme services licence in Hong Kong.[6] The majority of its customers and non-current assets are located in mainland China.[7] Its largest shareholder is Bauhinia Culture, a company wholly owned by the Chinese government.[8] Freedom House characterises Phoenix Television as pro-Beijing,[9] while Stephen McDonell of BBC News noted that it is "sometimes more liberal than its mainland counterparts".[10]

The company's head offices are located in Shenzhen, Guangdong, and Tai Po, Hong Kong, with correspondent offices in Beijing and Shanghai. The Shenzhen office produces about half of its television output.[11]

History

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Phoenix Television originated as a joint venture between Star TV in Hong Kong, a private company in China, and China Central Television.[12]

The Phoenix Chinese Channel was launched on 31 March 1996, replacing Star Chinese Channel in Hong Kong and mainland China.[13] Broadcasts in Singapore began on 1 December 1996 via the Singapore Cable Vision network. In its early years, the Phoenix Chinese Channel also carried Mandarin-dubbed American series during primetime hours, including The X-Files and Baywatch.[14]

Phoenix CNE began broadcasting in Europe, while the Phoenix North America Chinese Channel launched for audiences across the Americas. In 2005, a California-based broadcast and engineering director for the network, Tai Wang Mak, was arrested for conspiring with his brother, Chi Mak, to act as an intelligence agent for China.[15] He was sentenced to ten years in prison in 2008.[16][17]

On 28 March 2011, Phoenix Television launched the Phoenix Hong Kong Channel, which broadcasts exclusively in Cantonese.[18]

On 31 March 2011, Phoenix InfoNews Channel was recognised with a Peabody Award for its "Report on a New Generation of Migrant Workers in China".[19]

In 2011, Phoenix New Media partnered with the BBC to distribute the broadcaster's programmes on its digital media platforms. In 2012, it entered into a similar agreement with the National Film Board of Canada, under which 130 animated shorts and documentary films were made available digitally in China.[20]

In October 2013, 21st Century Fox sold its 12.15% stake in Phoenix Television (held through Star) to TPG Capital for HK$1.66 billion (US$213 million).[21][22][23]

In February 2016, Phoenix Television broadcast forced confessions of kidnapped Hong Kong booksellers.[24][25][9]

In June 2020, the FCC ordered XEWW-AM, owned by Phoenix Television, to cease broadcasting in the United States.[26]

The Taiwanese government designated Phoenix Television as a Chinese government-funded company in April 2022 and required it to cease operations in Taiwan.[27]

During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a Phoenix Television reporter was among the few foreign journalists to embed with the Russian military.[28]

Corporate governance

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Ownership

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

The shares held by the original News Corporation (and later 21st Century Fox) through Star were gradually reduced over the years. In October 2013, 21st Century Fox sold its remaining stake to TPG Capital.[29][21][22][23]

According to the company's 2018[needs update] annual report, its ownership structure was as follows:[1]

Name Shares Percentage Note
Today's Asia Limited 1,854,000,000 37.13% Wholly owned by Liu Changle.
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, beneficially controlled by David Bonderman and James Coulter.[1]
China Wise International Limited 412,000,000 8.25% Owned by Bank of China, which is controlled by Central Huijin Investment, a subsidiary of the sovereign wealth fund China Investment Corporation, which reports to the State Council of the People's Republic of China.

In April 2021, Liu Changle sold most of his shares to the state-owned publisher Bauhinia Culture and Shun Tak Holdings.[30][31]

Management

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Liu Changle (劉長樂), founder and CEO of Phoenix Television, previously worked as a journalist for the Chinese Communist Party-controlled China National Radio following the Cultural Revolution. By the 1990s, he had become one of China's wealthiest individuals and maintained strong connections to the Beijing leadership.[2][3]

Shuang Liu (刘爽) was appointed chief operating officer (COO) of Phoenix Television on 17 February 2014. He also serves as CEO of Phoenix New Media Ltd (NYSE: FENG), a Chinese digital media company.[32]

Chung Pong, a former director of Phoenix Television news, testified under oath that the network's programming 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."[33]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Annual Report" (PDF). 2018. pp. 137–138. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  2. ^ a b 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. Archived from the original on 3 August 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  3. ^ a b 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.
  4. ^ "Liu Changle". World Economic Forum. Archived from the original on 3 March 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  5. ^ "'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.
  6. ^ "Non-domestic Television Programme Service". Communications Authority. Archived from the original on 18 October 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  7. ^ "Annual Results Announcement for the Year Ended 31 December 2019" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 October 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  8. ^ "打造文化旗舰！紫荆文化集团在深圳发布多个重磅文化项目". www.163.com (in Chinese). 22 September 2021. Archived from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  9. ^ a b 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.
  10. ^ Stephen McDonell (16 May 2016). "Cultural Revolution: No desire to dwell on the past". BBC News. Archived from the original on 21 January 2022. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  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. ^ a b Farley, Maggie (23 February 1996). "Star TV, Chinese Firm Reportedly in Joint Venture". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  13. ^ 张林 (2016). 凤凰卫视这些年 (in Chinese). 现代出版社. pp. 19、45、51. ISBN 978-7514333930.
  14. ^ "X-Files in Chinese on cable TV". The Straits Times. 30 November 1996. Archived from the original on 23 December 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  15. ^ Grier, Peter (30 November 2005). "Spy case patterns the Chinese style of espionage". Christian Science Monitor. ISSN 0882-7729. Archived from the original on 1 September 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  16. ^ Bill Gertz (18 September 2006),ENEMIES Archived 3 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine The Washington Times
  17. ^ 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
  18. ^ "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.
  19. ^ "Complete list of 2011 Peabody Awards". Star Tribune. 31 March 2011. Archived from the original on 21 January 2022.
  20. ^ 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.
  21. ^ a b 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
  22. ^ a b 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
  23. ^ a b Frater, Patrick "21st Century Fox Sells Phoenix Stake Archived 2 January 2019 at the Wayback Machine" Variety 22 October 2013
  24. ^ "HK bookseller: TV confession 'forced'". BBC News. 16 June 2016. Archived from the original on 2 November 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  25. ^ 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.
  26. ^ Shepardson, David (22 June 2020). "FCC orders radio station in Mexico to halt broadcast of Chinese programs to U.S." Reuters. Archived from the original on 23 June 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  27. ^ "Phoenix TV faces closure in Taiwan". Taipei Times. Agence France Presse. 7 April 2022. Archived from the original on 6 April 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  28. ^ Carey, Alexis (16 March 2022). "Chinese reporter Lu Yuguang only foreign journalist working from Russia's 'frontline'". news.com.au. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  29. ^ "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
  30. ^ Ng, Eric (18 April 2021). "Phoenix founder Liu sells shares to Beijing-backed publisher, Pansy Ho firm". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  31. ^ "Publishing, Media Takeovers Part of China's Two-Pronged Grip on Hong Kong". Radio Free Asia. 10 May 2021. Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  32. ^ "凤凰新媒体 Phoenix New Media - Investor Relations - Company News". ir.ifeng.com. Archived from the original on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  33. ^ Everington, Keoni (17 April 2020). "CCP reporter who told Trump he was from Taiwan faces stiff fine". Taiwan News. Archived from the original on 20 April 2020. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
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