Phoenix Television is a television network that airs Chinese programs targeted to mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. The company is headquartered in Shenzhen, China, but has also a large office in Hong Kong. The network also operates in the United States as Phoenix TV US.
Media assets
Television: Phoenix Chinese Channel, Phoenix Movies Channel, Phoenix CNE Channel, Phoenix Hong Kong Channel, Phoenix TV US
Publishing: Phoenix Weekly
State Media Matrix Typology: Captured Public/State-Managed (CaPu)
Ownership and governance
Phoenix TV is operated by Phoenix Satellite Television Holdings Ltd, a company founded by Liu Changle, a former political specialist who worked for the Chinese army and later for Chinese state-owned media. Since its launch in 1996, Phoenix TV has changed its ownership several times. Its previous owners included private companies such as 21st Century Fox of News Corporation. The Chinese state controlled under 50% in Phoenix TV (it owned stakes in the company indirectly through state-owned China Mobile, a telephony operator, and Bank of China, which is directly accountable to the Chinese government).
According to the latest data we obtained from a group of investigative journalists in China, the largest stake in Phoenix TV is owned today by Bauhinia Culture Holdings Limited, a fully state-owned company in which the ministry of finance of the People’s Republic of China acts as a unique investor.
Source of funding and budget
Phoenix TV is funded mostly through commercial revenues. However, the broadcaster is known to regularly receive funding from the Chinese government in the form of state ads purchased by state-owned companies (often the very companies that own the network). The value of these ad contracts combined is much lower than 50%, according to the latest annual report for 2021 when the company had total revenues of over CNY 1bn (US$ 161m).
Editorial independence
There is growing evidence that Phoenix TV follows an editorial line that is favorable to the Chinese government. Chung Pong, a former news director at Phoenix TV testified in the United States that the station was “subject to the dictates of the leadership of the Central Communist Propaganda Department, Central Communist Overseas Propaganda Office, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.” In the past few years, the station has been criticized for airing programs that were blatantly pro-government.
There is no statute and no independent assessment/oversight mechanism to validate the independence of Phoenix TV.
October 2023