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Saturday, June 26, 2004

Speaking of Television Broadcasting in China...?

2:51 AM

In some China-oriented blogging of late there has appeared more than a dollop of demagoguery regarding the state-owned media, CCTV in particular. And while I will shortly take issue with one of the most egregious examples of same, penned by one Ann Condi, in this post I wish only to explain yet another reason for the scarcity of blogging here in The LongBow Papers.

Aside from the ongoing technical problems with Blogger, I have been absent from these pages over the past ten days or so because I have been working pretty much around the clock producing and directing a 90-minute "Variety/Talk Show" of the David Letterman type as an extravaganza-finale to the academic year for the Beijing Broadcasting Institute where I have been lecturing part-time in their new English Language Broadcasting major.

As is often the case in the always amazing Middle Kingdom, the decision to attempt such a thing with 45 very talented but very inexperienced "stars of tomorrow today"--and task me with it--was made at the last minute. Well, folks, although I am not really sure I can believe it just yet--we pulled it off! Today! Never have I been so proud of a group of young people under my supervision than I am of those that made "Talk The Talk" a resounding success for both a live studio audience and for broadcast.

We had dignitaries from the university/institute along with luminaries--and my colleagues--from CCTV International in attendance as honored guests (and hopefully employers of my stalwart troupers next year). Except for one technical screw-up with a miscued piece of pre-recorded video, the show exceeded even my optimistic projections--which were very much akin to whistling past a graveyard based upon the final dress rehearsal. But, as so often happens in "show biz," the show peaked at exactly the right time--opening day (and in this case, also closing day).

I am very tired of body, and totally drained of mind, but I am aglow with the reinforced belief in the future of all things "New China" because of what these young men and women accomplished in so short a period of time. This past February was the first time any of them had ever been in front of a real television camera in a real studio; and while much of the credit is being heaped upon me for putting them there and then pushing them to "be good or be gone"--the unfortunate truism of real TV--the glory and achievement belongs to them alone.

It might be interesting to note that "Talk The Talk" dealt with contemporary social issues that ranged from being gay in China to Anorexia Nervosa.

Anyway, and any how, it is done, and so is my fulltime class load at the China Foreign Affairs University: another academic year has ended. I will now have almost eight weeks to only write--and rest!

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