A History of Foreign Media in China

The role of music, culture and media in the evolution of societies is widely recognized worldwide.  Mei Yan outlines the shift of young audience tastes from foreign to local content, the development of brand strength, and a strategy to create and maintain brand loyalty.  With highly competitive and saturated media sectors in developed countries, China represents a unique growth opportunity for large international media producers, which have sought strategies to reach Chinese audiences since the 1990’s. Viacom’s big break came in 2003 when the Chinese government agreed to the reciprocal exchange program, where Viacom, Time Warner and News Corp were allowed limited market entry in exchange for helping CCTV expand their footprint in the West.

MTV Greater China faces two major challenges, producing localized Chinese content, and fighting to establish a unique brand.  China’s youth are becoming increasingly media savvy and demand their own local stars.  At the same time, China craves recognition on the world stage as a major creative force.