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"Government video" takes on a very different meaning in China. During my visit to Guangzhou in Guangdong Province to attend the Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival late last year, I met producers from China Central Television (CCTV), China's national network of 12 channels, and others from the 27 provincial television organizations and nearly 3,000 local television stations.
The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, China's equivalent of the Federal Communications Commission, authorizes television service to China's 2,900 cities. All the television and radio stations and networks are owned by the government, which monitors program planning, production, and distribution.
There is a growing independent production community, and the government allows programs to be funded by private sources or as co-productions with international companies. However, there isn't much of a market despite the size of the Chinese audience, because the stations trade content and license fees are extremely low
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Liang Peng had worked for the China Intercontinental Communications Center as its head of research and development until the week before the festival. CICC is a branch of the State Council's Information Office and functions as the Chinese government's public relations arm. Peng's job was to work with international producers to select and develop program topics and lead the team of researchers that supported the productions.
Why did Peng leave the security of the government to join an independent venture called EVO Productions? "Working inside the government, you know that intelligence is not valued. However, the film industry is dependent on intelligence," he explained.
Robert Goodman has more than 20 years of production experience and is the author of the Goodman's Guide series of field guides for videographers. Contact him at robert@goodmansguide.com.
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