INTRODUCTION 1
The Rock and the Hard Place 1
Dynamic City,Tabloid TV 3
Key Research Questions 5
Methodology 5
The Arrangement of the Thesis 6
PART ONE CHINESE MEDIA IN TRANSITION 9
CHAPTER ONE FROM MAOISM TO MARKET 9
The First Period 9
The Second Period 10
The Third Period 12
The Fourth Period and the Party Principle 13
CHAPTER TWO INSTITUTIONAL SHIFTS 18
Shifting Governance—Decentralisation 18
Shifting Finances—The Growth of Advertising 26
Shifting Environments:The Rise of the Internet 33
Shifting Corporate Structure—Consolidation and Conglomeration 37
Shifting Horizons:Imports,Exports and Transnational Alliances 44
CHAPTER THREE PROGRAMMING RESPONSES 54
Changing Emphases—From Instruction to Audience Building 54
Commerce and Representation—Tabloidisation 58
Tabloidisation with Chinese Characteristics 71
PART TWO SHANGHAI:MEDIA CITY 80
CHAPTER FOUR SHANGHAI,A UNIQUE METROPOLIS 80
The City as a City State 80
The City as a Cultural Laboratory 81
The City as a Consumer Centre 87
The City as a Media Hub 88
Summary 91
CHAPTER FIVE BROADCASTING IN SHANGHAI 92
A City in Motion:Developments and Opportunities 99
Emerging Broadcasting Markets:Competition and Commercialism 103
Consolidation and Specialisation:The Rise of the Shanghai Media Group 107
CHAPTER SIX THE DEVELOPMENT OF DRAGON TV 119
Motivation 119
Ambitions 120
Corporate Strategies 123
Competitions and Competitors 128
Summary 132
PART THREE REORGANISING REPRESENTATIONS 134
CHAPTER SEVEN INSIDE DRAGON TV 134
Institutional Innovations 134
Programming Strategies 142
Dimensions of Tabloidisation 149
CHAPTER EIGHT TALKING POINTS:TONIGHT SHOW 153
Talk Shows in China 153
American vs. Dragon Tonight Show 155
A Case Study of Dragon's Tonight Show 157
CHAPTER NINE INVESTIGATIONS:DEPTH 105 169
Investigative Documentaries in China 169
A Case Study of Depth 105 173
Chinese-Style Tabloidisation in Depth 105 190
CHAPTER TEN POPULAR PLEASURES:GAME PLAYERS 192
The Gaming Culture in China 192
A Case Studv of Game Players 194
Chinese-Style Tabloidisation in Game Players 211
CONCLUSION 212
BIBLIOGRAPHY 215
INTERVIEWS 230
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 232