EuroNews, China’s CCTV in cooperation for Science, Hi-Tech news

EuroNews, China Central Television (CCTV) and the European Commission have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the broadcast in Mandarin of a EuroNews magazine package about science, space activities and technology, on CCTV network to a potential audience of 500 mln viewers. This agreement is the first step for a longer partnership between EuroNews and CCTV.

For the first time EuroNews will be present in the Chinese market, thanks to a partnership concluded with CCTV, built around the flagship magazine on European research “Futuris”, a co-production between EuroNews and European Commission DG Research and Information Society.

EuroNews will provides a package of nine magazines a month, including “Space”, co-produced with the European Space Agency, “Fly”, co-produced with Eurocontrol, the European Organization for the safety of air navigation and “Hi-Tech”.

Through this MoU signed in Beijing on November 14, EuroNews and its joint copyright holders put at the disposal of CCTV, for translation into Mandarin, this package of magazines to be broadcast in 2008 in a magazine about science in Europe, in full or in extracts, on the first Chinese channel CCTV 1 dedicated to news and magazines, as well as on CCTV Chinese and international web sites.

With 16 TV channels, CCTV is China’s leading broadcaster and only national network, reaching audiences of over 500 mln viewers for its nightly news. It is the country’s largest producer of TV programmes, with a strong output in educational and science programming.

This initiative coincides with the European Union-China Science & Technology Year, and the reinforcement of EU-China scientific cooperation in 7th Framework Programme for Research (FP7).

Launched in January 1993 EuroNews is broadcast 24 hours a day, simultaneously in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian. It is broadcast all over the world, reaching 200 mln households in 129 countries by cable, digital satellite and terrestrial distribution. The European news channel is also available on 32 mobile operators (3G, VOD) in 20 European countries, on 43 ADSL/High Speed Internet networks in 27 countries, and live on board the aircraft of international airlines. Viewers can watch EuroNews on their PDAs and live on the Internet in Europe on RealNetworks Superpass, and everywhere in the world through Jalipo (UK).