| Viacom extends mtv reach in china { September 23 2004 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active) http://news.ft.com/cms/s/2fcdda54-0d5a-11d9-a3e1-00000e2511c8.htmlhttp://news.ft.com/cms/s/2fcdda54-0d5a-11d9-a3e1-00000e2511c8.html
Viacom extends MTV reach in China By Alexandra Harney in Hong Kong Published: September 23 2004 22:00 | Last updated: September 23 2004 22:00
Viacom is extending its reach into China in a partnership with Beijing Television and expanding distribution of MTV, its music channel, in the southern province of Guangdong.
The US media conglomerate expects the number of households receiving MTV's 24-hour channel in Guangdong to triple, bringing its total distribution of the service in China, including Hong Kong, to almost 10m households by the end of this year.
The alliance with BTV follows its announcement in March of a joint venture with Shanghai Media Group the first such partnership since China eased its ban on foreign investment in local production companies. Sumner Redstone, Viacom chairman and chief executive, said the group's Paramount Pictures was also discussing possible collaboration, including co-production, with SMG.
“There is no limit to our appetite here,” Mr Redstone told the FT.
While the joint venture with SMG is focused on children's programming, Viacom and BTV will concentrate on music and entertainment content.
These programmes, which will be offered for syndication to channels in China and overseas, will not necessarily carry the MTV brand. They will, however, contain “MTV-type” content, Mr Redstone said.
Viacom brushed off rumours that progress in the venture with SMG had stagnated because it had not obtained official approval.
“We have their verbal okay. They've told us to move ahead as fast as we can. They've assured us we can get anything official that we need,”Mr Redstone said. .
In Guangdong, where MTV won landing rights last year, the group will expand its distribution in Guangzhou, the provincial capital, and roll out MTV in two other unnamed cities. The move would broaden MTV's reach from 1m to 3m households in Guangdong. This is added to 600,000 households in Hong Kong and about 6m sets in hotels and compounds.
MTV was one of the first foreign networks to be granted landing rights in China, winning approval for 24-hour broadcasts in Guangdong in April 2003.
China Entertainment Television was the first foreign media group to win broadcasting rights in China in 2001.
Viacom also said that China Central Television had agreed to take on additional programmes from Nickelodeon, Viacom's children's channel. Talks are under way with CCTV about licensing consumer products linked to the SpongeBob, SquarePants series.
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