Blue Ocean TV plans venture into strange waters

• Source: Global Times
• [08:21 August 02 2010]
• Comments

GT: As a media professional, what do you think are the challenges for Chi-nese media at present, both for private ones and State-owned ones, to export Chinese culture and values?

Ku: The biggest challenge BON face is still the bottleneck in government policy. Policy restraints will limit the development of private media. For instance, in China, CNN now has access to three-star and better hotels where foreigners here can watch their programs. But BON is still kept out of the door. That means we are losing a large number of audiences.

As a private media outlet, we hope the government can show more tolerance and avoid a sweeping approach, like trying to impose the restrictions for domestic media on overseas media.

But we understand the situation the government is in. It has a lot to be worried about in giving private media full play. It needs to consider the influence both at home and abroad, because it might have great effects on various aspects.

So it is not easy, especially when it involves different ideologies. We are not capable of changing the circumstances now, but we can make efforts to improve ourselves and create conditions for our development.

For State-owned media, I think the biggest challenge is media mechanisms. How can they run a business while following the media law? How can they provide news acceptable to Western audiences? It is easier to say. There are various regulations that limit them. It's a challenge for them at present, and also for private overseas media like BON.

GT: How can BON make its voice trusted in a global market?

Ku: You need to speak the global language. Here, the language is not English but discourse. We need to speak their pure language and use their way of expression. Besides, there should be a common discursive context.

If they talk about universal values and you insist on Marxism, certainly you won't have a base of communication.

Universal values are generally accepted in the West, which include democracy, freedom and equality. They believe that whatever your political system is, you should respect these universal values.

If you don't recognize them, you cannot enter their discourse system, because you are not speaking their "language."