Talking heads trade TV jobs for online work
Print Edition
IT has been about a month since one of Shanghai’s best known TV commentators, Lou Yichen, left STV’s sports channel to join PPTV, a Shanghai-based video host and live-streaming platform.
Lou is now vice director of PPTV Sports, a position he is still getting used to.
“For all these years, I had been managed by others. All of a sudden, I’m put into a management position,” Lou told Shanghai Daily.
Apart from continuing to commentate on live sports matches, Lou’s new duties include taking charge of content production and program design at PPTV Sports. The 46-year-old said two people played crucial roles in his decision to leave the traditional media, where he had worked for 23 years.
“My friend and former colleague Zhang Xun joined PPTV last November and sent me an invitation. Also, my long-term commentating partner Liu Yue signed a contract with PPTV even earlier last year. The idea of me and Liu becoming partners again on a new media platform helped me make up my mind.”
Lou has also joined a growing rank of Chinese TV veterans who gave up stable jobs with state broadcasters to work in the burgeoning world of online media.
Former CCTV Sports channel host and commentator Huang Jianxiang was among the first to leave the traditional media when he went to work for Phoenix Satellite TV in 2006. He later became a free agent, appearing on various sports, entertainment and economic programs on both television and online platforms.
Another well-known CCTV Sports program host and commentator, Liu Jianhong, left the station to join online video platform Letv in 2014. Their colleague Duan Xuan left CCTV at the end of last year to join Banana Culture, an entertainment company established by Wang Sicong, son of property tycoon and Wanda Group president Wang Jianlin.
At PPTV Sports, other ex-STV staff include former reporters and editors like Yang Xiaohui and Ma Chao.
“Huang and Liu are all about my age, and we are close. Duan is even younger than me… To be frank, I had considered making a move for a while. Given my age, it was now or never,” said Lou. “Ex-colleagues at PPTV Sports helped me adapt to the new environment. I don’t feel like fighting alone.”
Room to grow
Apart from reuniting with old acquittances, Lou also sees PPTV as a platform that can help him reach a broader audience.
“STV is a regional channel and its influence is limited to the Yangtze River Delta Region. PPTV is a national platform; so for me the challenge will be to see whether I’m accepted by audiences all over the country.”
Lou explained that online platforms like PPTV offer other benefits to staff members, including opportunities to experiment and try new roles.
“Traditional media is limited by the way the system operates, which suppresses the development of individuals who have their own thoughts and plans,” said Lou. “Also, duties at a TV channel are carefully divided, so it’s hard to find new experiences.”
Lou’s departure raised the question of whether others of his stature would follow his lead and look for opportunities in new media, which many see as a growth industry filled with promise and potential.
To stay competitive in the Internet age, traditional broadcasters will have to adapt in order to retain both viewers and talented staff members, Lou explained.
He also denied earlier reports that put his salary with PPTV at 3 million yuan (US$459,000), but admitted that his current job does pay more than STV.
PPTV Sports Director Zhang Xun pointed out that PPTV’s major rivals are other new media platforms operated by the likes of Letv and Sina, instead of traditional media operators like television stations.
“It’s just a different method to receive programs. Whether it’s through TV or an Internet platform, good content is the core competitive feature,” Zhang emphasized.
To win viewers, online broadcasters compete fiercely for broadcasting rights to high-profile matches and programs. PPTV had been showing live English Premier League games since 2010, with each game attracting upwards of a million viewers. PPTV also signed a five-year deal with Spain’s La Liga TV last year, a deal that brought millions of new viewers to its platform.
“Broadcasting rights come and go, and they don’t last long. Good self-produced programs are the key to sustainable development,” said Zhang, who revealed that PPTV Sports is working on a new daily self-produced program set to launch later in the year.
“Talent is another competitive power, and that’s why we’ve welcomed experienced and influential people like Lou,” said Zhang.
Together with Liu Yue, Lou has commentated on about eight live sports matches since joining PPTV.
“There is not much difference between commentating on TV or on the Internet. However, the work environment has changed a lot.”
Apart from the commentators, Lou was surprised to discover that only one other staff member — a technical support expert — is present during the broadcast of a live match.
“I was shocked,” Lou said. “In a TV station, at least four or five more staff are working the same time, taking charge of lights and sound effects, signal transfers, footage editing, etc. Any error occurring during a live broadcast due to lack of staff would be considered a serious incident.”
Lou says another part of his new job is using his knowledge of best practices to promote professionalization and standardization at PPTV. This, he adds, is a challenge that he welcomes.
“Applying my thoughts and ideas to the new platform would make my career complete,” he said.
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