Post by Forever Xena on Aug 12, 2005 4:39:10 GMT -6
Chinese put 'Housewives' on TV menu
By Steve Brennan
The wayward women of Wisteria Lane are about to get a new, faraway address in China.
"Desperate Housewives" is heading to major Chinese broadcaster China Central Television in a deal announced Thursday in Hong Kong.
Under the deal, Buena Vista International Television -- Asia Pacific has licensed to international distributor Zone Vision Networks the rights to premiere the hit series in China.
Zone Vision in turn owns the primetime block on China Central's entertainment channel CCTV-8, where it has scheduled the series for a fall debut.
Although no firm date has been set for the Chinese launch, a spokeswoman for Zone Vision said the company is looking at a September debut on the entertainment block "Everyday Jiayi," a nightly branded block of programming that features international dramas and movies and airs on the national broadcaster in China.
The programming deal was unveiled by Steve Macallister, senior vp and managing director at BVITV-AP, and Zone Vision Networks chairman Chris Wronski.
"We are delighted to be working with Zone Vision as a partner in China and to be bringing 'Desperate Housewives' to a Chinese audience," Macallister said. "The stellar performance of 'Desperate Housewives' worldwide demonstrates that a good story can transcend all cultures and languages." The series has been nominated for 15 Emmys.
Zone Vision operates the successful "Everyday Jiayi" block through Encore International Beijing, which it recently acquired. This deal represents the first acquisition made under the new ownership.
"As part of our commitment to our relationship with CCTV and our viewers in China, we have made it a priority to acquire more notable Hollywood series and award-winning programming from around the world," Wronski said. "Certainly, 'Desperate Housewives' is an excellent first step in that direction. We will continue to seek out programming properties that will be exciting and appropriate for this audience as well as further enhance the 'Jiayi' brand."
Added Sarah Jiang, general manager of Encore International Beijing: "This series has already generated a lot of press coverage and excitement in China. Acquiring a series of this caliber underscores our commitment to this market as well as to our partners at CCTV-8."
For BVITV-AP, the agreement was negotiated by China head Mark Chan.
"Desperate Housewives" is licensed to more than 150 territories worldwide.
By Steve Brennan
The wayward women of Wisteria Lane are about to get a new, faraway address in China.
"Desperate Housewives" is heading to major Chinese broadcaster China Central Television in a deal announced Thursday in Hong Kong.
Under the deal, Buena Vista International Television -- Asia Pacific has licensed to international distributor Zone Vision Networks the rights to premiere the hit series in China.
Zone Vision in turn owns the primetime block on China Central's entertainment channel CCTV-8, where it has scheduled the series for a fall debut.
Although no firm date has been set for the Chinese launch, a spokeswoman for Zone Vision said the company is looking at a September debut on the entertainment block "Everyday Jiayi," a nightly branded block of programming that features international dramas and movies and airs on the national broadcaster in China.
The programming deal was unveiled by Steve Macallister, senior vp and managing director at BVITV-AP, and Zone Vision Networks chairman Chris Wronski.
"We are delighted to be working with Zone Vision as a partner in China and to be bringing 'Desperate Housewives' to a Chinese audience," Macallister said. "The stellar performance of 'Desperate Housewives' worldwide demonstrates that a good story can transcend all cultures and languages." The series has been nominated for 15 Emmys.
Zone Vision operates the successful "Everyday Jiayi" block through Encore International Beijing, which it recently acquired. This deal represents the first acquisition made under the new ownership.
"As part of our commitment to our relationship with CCTV and our viewers in China, we have made it a priority to acquire more notable Hollywood series and award-winning programming from around the world," Wronski said. "Certainly, 'Desperate Housewives' is an excellent first step in that direction. We will continue to seek out programming properties that will be exciting and appropriate for this audience as well as further enhance the 'Jiayi' brand."
Added Sarah Jiang, general manager of Encore International Beijing: "This series has already generated a lot of press coverage and excitement in China. Acquiring a series of this caliber underscores our commitment to this market as well as to our partners at CCTV-8."
For BVITV-AP, the agreement was negotiated by China head Mark Chan.
"Desperate Housewives" is licensed to more than 150 territories worldwide.