Part of its ongoing programme of expansion in support of China’s growing international profile and influence, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV now has a live American channel competing with BBC, CNN and Al-Jazeera services. This follows TV channels launched into the UK and agreements with other nations over joint TV and film production.

America is lined up for four hours of daily programming produced by CCTV journalists working out of 15 bureaux around North and South America. The target audience comprises more than 100m viewers in 120 countries. Initial prigramming will include a business and finance programme called Biz Asia America, The Heat and the Americas Now magazine programme.

CCTV is also preparing to open a TV facility in Nairobi and is actively recruiting journalists and technical staff around the globe.

See also:
CCTV launches three TV channels in the UK
China trials 3D TV
China and Taiwan agree joint film and TV production

Claiming its place as the first Western musical to be performed in Mandarin with a Chinese cast, musical Mamma Mia! is currently playing in Guangzhou – the first time a production has been performed by a local cast, with a translated script.

Technically the approach for the audio was the same as it has been for all other recent productions of Mamma Mia!, including the DiGiCo SD8 mixing console that is being used at FOH. And with runs in Shanghai and Beijing already in the bag, the DiGiCo SD8 at FOH is a familiar sight.

With 13 principles, an ensemble and a six-piece band, this is a medium-sized production – making the SD8 a good fit. But it wasn’t always that way.

‘Because of China’s import laws, we realised that it would be quite difficult to get the equipment in and out of the country,’ reports the production’s Associate Sound Designer, Richard Brooker, who works closely with Sound Designer Bobby Aitken and has been involved in 21 different productions of Mamma Mia! around the world.

‘This being the first production of its kind in China, we had no historical experience of which Chinese production companies had the skills to manage this production,’ he continues. ‘We needed to be confident in the finished result, so the responsibility was placed on Seoul Sound. They have a lot of experience of this level of show as they have put on many international productions in Korea.’

DiGiCo consoles have been involved in the show since the first production transferred to the Prince of Wales theatre in London in 2004, where a DiGiCo D5T was originally specified. However, the huge success of the production has led to it being technically redesigned to fit on to a much smaller console: ‘Two years ago, a decision was taken to make the show more accessible to smaller territories and producers,’ Brooker says. ‘To achieve this it was redesigned from all angles, including sound, so that it now fits on to an SD8 perfectly.’

The production uses a total of 83 inputs and 54 outputs, with 117 snapshots/scenes during the performance and much use being made of the SD8’s internal effects.

‘It is astonishing to think that it actually fits on to an SD8, but that says a lot more about the desk than anything else,’ Brooker says. ‘The SD8 is designed for a certain market and really you wouldn’t think that market could encompass a production like Mamma Mia!, which is a global success. It goes to show both how versatile and what high quality the SD8 is.’

Taking an established show to China for the first time required a truly international sound team – which also included Dutch assistant sound designer Wibo Vermeulen, Belgian production sound engineer Raf Rutgeerts, Seoul Sound’s production sound engineer Hwang Kyun-Cheol, Taiwanese sound operator Kevin Wang, Chinese technical production manager Wei Han Liao and production manager Simon Marlow - ensured that this production of Mamma Mia! is as high a standard, if not more so, than any previous version.

‘For all of us, it has been a really exciting project to be part of,’ says Brooker. ‘Inevitably it has had its ups and downs, but it is already very successful. Audiences are loving it – perhaps the most surprising thing to Western ears is that it sounds exactly like Mamma Mia!, only in Mandarin. As China is such a huge country, there is the potential for it to tour for a long time yet.

‘Having just done two shows on an SD7, which is an astonishing console, the core usability and audio quality is no different,’ he adds. ‘That’s uncommon from a manufacturer. To me the slightly more budget consoles normally sound ‘more budget’. But, having used an SD9 as well, the quality continues the whole way through the range.’

Mamma Mia! in China is produced by United Asia Live Entertainment Co by arrangement with Judy Craymer, Richard East and Bjorn Ulvaeus for Littlestar in association with Universal.

More: www.digico.org
More: www.seoulsound.co

China Central Television (CCTV) is now using the Freeview HD channel to deliver three TV channels to the UK.

Using internet broadcast playout services, CCTV is streaming its Channel 9 features films and dramas, and Channel 4 documentaries, while a further channel provides both China and worldwide news. ‘By delivering the very best and latest compelling television from China to our UK audience, we hope to make them feel closer to home, even when they live on the other side of the world,’ says CCTV Deputy Editor-in Chief, Zhu Tong.

‘CCTV has embraced the opportunity that internet television over Freeview HD represents, to deliver high-quality, world-class broadcasting to the Chinese expat audience in the UK – and all for free,’ adds John Mills, CEO of Vision IPTV.

See also:
China Trials 3D TV
Chinese Broadcasters Extend International Reach 

China’s CCTV is to conduct a 3D TV trial broadcast.

Scheduled for 1 January 2012, the test will ensure the channel’s operational launch in time for the Chinese New Year holiday.

Ince on air, the new channel will carry 3D animation, sports, documentary, drama, entertainment and live broadcast of major events from 10:30am to midnight. This will be delivered three times a day in free four-and-a-half-hour packages, according to the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT). Six TV stations will responsible for content creation. ‘All stations are investing heavily to prepare 3D programmes now,’ says Vice-Director of CCTV’s Project Management Department, Mei Jianping.

To date, Jiangsu TV has recorded more than 30 3D programmes, eight of which have been submitted to CCTV.

According to China’s electrical retailers, more than 35 per cent of TV sales are presentl 3D capable sets whose cost has falled 33 per cent since 2010. A survey by the China 3D Industry Academy – conducted in six cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen – shows that more than 45 per cent of Chinese consumers have expressed interest in 3D programmes, with 35 per cent ready to buy a 3D TV set. The survey identified sports, culture, entertainment and technology programmes as being of greatest interest.

An outdoor concert staged in Guangzhou by Greek pianist and composer Yanni called on an L-Acoustics Kudo large-format line source system for its very large sound reinforement needs.

Part of a Chinese tour, the gig took place in Haixinsha Park on the Pearl River. The sound system for the event was supplied to the tour’s equipment provider Beijing Dadong Huahan Audiovisual Equipment Co by L-Acoustics’ exclusive distributor for Greater China, Rightway Audio Consultants.

The main system comprosed 16 Kudo cabinets, 32 V-Dosc large-format line source boxes and 24 SB28 subs, with 24 dV-Dosc for in fill and two 115XT HiQ for stage monitoring. The complete system was powered by 32 LA8 amplified controllers housed in six LA-Raks. ‘The Kudo system was really great for this concert because of its accurate adjustable horizontal dispersion, extended frequency range down to 25Hz, and compact size,’ says Rightway Audio Consultants Sales Manager, Alan Wong. It’s perfect for side fill or any situation where accuracy, range and power is needed. The benefits of Kudo were recognised by the production crew and also by the audience.’

More: www.racpro.net
More: www.l-acoustics.com

Apex Audio has assigned its distribution activities in China to Righway Audio Consultants.

‘Rightway is one of the most well respected distributors of audio products in China,’ says Apex Marketing Manager, Jeroen Sierjacobs. ‘We are very pleased that they have chosen to distribute Apex products and, with Righway’s expertise, look forward to becoming a successful brand in the region.’

‘When we establishment Rightway, our aim was to offer advanced audio products to boost the level of product sales, engineering and systems integration of technologies into the Chinese market,’ says Rightway Marketing and Communications Executive, Monica Au. ‘Our first priority has always been the quality of the brands we work with. We distribute a variety of top brands under an exclusive basis, which fully satisfies the needs of the audio professionals.

‘The demand for audio equipment, especially at a professional level, is expanding due to the cultural development of the audio industry in Mainland China,’ she continues. ‘To meet the various demands of our customers, we need to provide equipment with advanced technology.

‘In order to increase the sales channels and open the market for Apex in China, the first thing we need to do is to promote the brand and build a good image for Apex, since it is still very fresh to the market in China. This will be through a combination of advertising, exhibitions, online promotion and our network of high-calibre dealers, contractors and system integrators. Of course, these dealers, contractors and system integrators are strictly selected – they must have an excellent reputation and outstanding accomplishments as it is our goal to provide performance-based products with the very best customer service and support.’

Following the agreement, Rightway Audio invited Apex technical Director, Renaud Schoonbroodti and International Sales Representative Craig Lovell to introduce Apex products to its sales and technical team in Guangzhou, ‘Craig gave a general product overview, introducing all the benefits and unique characteristics of Apex products,’ Au recalls. ‘This was followed by a product demonstration, where Renaud showed us how to operate the Inteli-X. A Q&A session was included in the training, which made it more interactive. The training went extremely well and Rightway is excited about its future with Apex in China.’

China is to conduct test broadcasts of its first 3D television channel on 1 January 2012. If successful, the channel will go live during the upcoming Lunar New Year Festival in late January.

‘We have started preparations for the country’s first experimental 3D TV channel and have issued two technical guidelines on the production and airing of 3D television programmes and 3D television signal transmission,’ confirms Cai Fuchao, head of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT).

The channel launch will be a collaboration between six TV stations, including China Central Television (CCTV).

The growing international outlook being pursued by Mainland China’s film and television companies will see further TV series coming from Taiwan. Joint productions between Chinese and Taiwanese broadcasters and filmmakers will also be supported.

The move follows on ongoing increase in exchanges of film and television programming.

The news comes from Taiwan iva China, when the Taiwan Affairs Office State Council held a news conference in Beijing. According to spokeswoman Fan Liqing, Mainland China’s radio, film and television authority is determined to ‘deepen cross-Straits broadcasting cooperation, unveiling a slew of new measures to promote exchanges of film and TV programmes’.

China’s State Administration of Radio, Film and Television will support joint investment in TV series production and to encourage major television networks, such as CCTV, to assign fixed slots to jointly-produced series.

Yu Xintian, head of the Shanghai-based Taiwan Research Institute, agreed that exchanges of film and TV programmes were ‘beneficial for mutual understanding, especially among the grassroots public, as they presented Chinese culture in a simple and lucid way’.

The initiative is also expected to see investment in the construction and renovation of cinemas in China.

With offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Macao, LAB is one of the leading sound equipment rental companies in China, providing audio infrastructure, personnel and technical support for projects ranging from major live productions and sporting occasions to corporate events and press conferences.

The company’s choice of hire inventory reflects its philosophy of providing a professional service to both local and international clients, which has led to a major investment in Outline sound reinforcement products, centered on the new flagship GTO line-source system. The purchase also includes GTO-Low bass extension modules and a number of Mantas compact line-source cabinets, high-power LAB 21 HS subwoofers, T11 lightweight power amplifiers and other accessories.

Two of Outline’s training staff, Francesco Ferretti and Davide Lombardi, recently visited LAB in Beijing to introduce the new products to LAB’s technicians, and share some practical road-knowledge and experiences with them. The training focused mainly on deployment of the GTO system as its far-field performance is suited to many of the large-scale projects undertaken by the LAB team.

‘To forge a new partnership with such a well-respected company in one of the world’s fastest-growing markets is a very exciting development for our company,’ says Giorgio Biffi, CEO of Outline. ‘The quality of LAB’s work speaks for itself and I believe that the investment in GTO and Mantas will give the company much greater choice and flexibility when specifying larger projects. We are delighted to welcome LAB to the Outline family’.

‘We are very pleased to partner with Outline, whose people and products – particularly the amazing GTO system – will make a major contribution to our company and business,’ adds LAB Technical Director, Don Lo.

LAB’s projects include Sir Elton John’s Shanghai Concert, The Robert Gallup Extreme Magic China tour, the 5th Anniversary of Macau Return Evening and the 2007 Special Olympics Opening Ceremony.

More: www.outline.it
More: www.lab-labour.com

A multi-room nightclub on the southern tip of China has seen 161 CMX Series amplifiers installed – not only for the dancefloor sound system but also 26 private rooms and 14 VIP rooms.

Installed by Shenzhen Duoyuan Technology, the amplifiers can be found at Gold Coast in Xuwen. Wu Haitao, Product Manager at QSC’s Chinese distributor, PCI, points out that it was the investors themselves who selected QSC CMX Series power amplifiers to drive the entire sound system, citing brand dependability, stable operation and performance as key criteria in the decision making.

‘Although QSC’s profile has changed over the years and the company’s diversification into advanced loudspeaker and processing design has quickly been recognised by the Chinese market, its amplifiers are still first choice for the majority of customers,’ he says. ‘This enables the QSC brand to maintain a very high market share.’

Introduced last year, the CMX series uses high-current toroidal transformer and filtering to ensure generous energy reserves, allowing the amplifiers to handle high transient levels. The output section, meanwhile, uses rugged class-AB and class-H architecture depending on power level.

These are features certainly not lost on Wu Haitao, who recognises that the CMX line was designed as an economical solution for system integrators: ‘CMX has inherited QSC’s legendary performance while increasing its application options, by offering greater flexibility and perfect sound,’ he says.

Situated in a buzzing nightclub district of the city, Gold Coast serves partygoers from around Guangdong Province with high-impact sound, vibrant video and stylised design.

More: www.qscaudio.com