The battle for young viewers

[Photo/China Daily]

This year CCTV also licensed EE-Media, the producer of the popular Super Girl talent shows, to produce the talk show Hi! 2014, hosted by Taiwan pop star Harlem Yu and one of China's most popular TV stars Xie Na. The show is geared toward younger audiences.

Canxing Productions, which rose to fame with the success of its Voice of China series on Zhejiang TV, also produced two talent shows for CCTV. One is an original production called Songs of China, which ended up as one of CCTV's most watched programs of 2014.

The State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television announced earlier this year that, starting in 2015, only one music talent show can be aired nationwide during prime time each season, and there can be only one program based on foreign formats each year.

However, domestic media report that such policies don't apply to CCTV, meaning it will become a highly desired platform by production companies.

Wang Changtian, CEO of Enlight Media, confirmed to the Shanghai Securities News that its programs scheduled to air on CCTV next year, which include at least two reality shows, won't be affected. A kung fu-themed reality show, produced by Canxing, is also reportedly scheduled to run on CCTV next year.

CCTV is "very active. The level of its acceptance of new ideas is even beyond my imagination," says Zhang Hang.

"Our cooperation with CCTV will surely continue."