Massive revamp for CCTV

By Jane Chen  |   2009-6-23  |     ONLINE EDITION

A POPULAR China Central Television program will return to air ready to once again criticize mismanagement in local governments.

"Focus Interview" is part of a massive revamp for the country's state TV network starting next month, today's China Economic Times reported.

The revamp has already started at "Xinwen Lianbo" on CCTV-1, or CCTV's news channel, with a new format including more human-interest items, critical reportage and less coverage of government meetings.

International news coverage has been doubled to up to eight minutes in the 30-minute program.

"Xinwen Lianbo," the country's most authoritative and popular news program, has been China's most popular news program for decades.

Other news breaks will be added on mornings and afternoons with news available every hour on CCTV-1, the China Economic Times report said.

Services in Russian, Arabian, Portuguese and English will be launched by 2011.

By November 18, all CCTV channels will be revamped. Some will have a third of their programs phased out, the report said.