Chinese Music Reality Shows: A Case Study A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Drexel University by Zhengyuan Bi In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Television Management January 2017 ii © Copyright 2017 Zhengyuan Bi All Right Reserved. iii DEDICATION I dedicate this thesis to my family and my friends, with a special feeling of gratitude to my loving parents, my friends Queena Ai, Eileen Zhou and Lili Mao, and my former boss Kenny Lam. I will always appreciate their love and support! iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to take this opportunity to thank my thesis advisor Philip Salas and Television Management Program Director Al Tedesco for their great support and guidance during my studies at Drexel University. I would also like to thank Katherine Houseman for her kind support and assistance. I truly appreciate their generous contribution to me and all the students. I would also like to thank all the faculty of Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, all the classmates that have studied with me for these two years. We are forever friends and the best wishes to each of you! v Table of Contents DEDICATION ………………………………………………………………………………..iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…………………………………………………………………...iv ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………………vii Chapter 1: Introduction………………………………………………………………………..1 1.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………...3 1.2 Statement of the Problem…………………………………………….................................3 1.3 Background…………………………………………………………………………………4 1.4 Purpose of the study…………………………………………………………………….....5 1.5 Research Questions………………………………………………………………………...5 1.6 Significant to the Field…………………………………………………………………......5 1.7 Definitions………………………………………………………………………………......6 Chapter 2: Literature review………………………………………………………………….8 2.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………...8 2.2 Body of the Review………………………………………………………………………...9 Chapter 3: Methodology……………………………………………………………………...19 3.1 Introduction and Research Questions…………………………………………………..19 3.2 Data Collection…………………………………………………………………………....20 3.3 Definition…………………………………………………………………………………..21 Chapter 4: Results……………………………………………………………………………..25 4.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..25 4.2 CCTV Young Singer Television Competition……………………………………………....25 4.3 Super Girl…………………………………………………………………………………...29 4.4 Voice of China…………………………………………………………………………….....34 4.5 I am a Singer………………………………………………………………………………...38 Chapter 5: Discussion and Conclusion………………………………………………….......43 5.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..43 vi 5.2 Discussion……………………………………………………………………………….....43 5.3 Limitations…………………………………………………………………………………48 5.4 Recommendations for future research…………………………………………….........48 5.5 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………....49 List of References……………………………………………………………………………...52 vii ABSTRACT Chinese Music Reality Shows: A Case Study Zhengyuan Bi Advisor: Philip Salas The first Chinese television music talent show premiered in 1984, but from 2004- 2015, the genre attracted the attention of young viewers, and generated significant profits for television stations and production companies. The purpose of this thesis is to analysis the features and developing trends of Chinese music talent shows. This will be accomplished by using case studies of 4 talent shows: CCTV Young Singer Television Competition; Super Girl; The Voice of China and I Am a Singer. Through these four typical music talent shows, the research will help to explain the keys to success for music talent shows in the Chinese market; the reasons why they are so popular, and more importantly, to determine the best production techniques for a music talent show to adapt to Chinese cultural norms.. This thesis will then provide suggestions for development and innovation in music talent shows in China. 1 Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Introduction As China began a period of reform and openness to Western culture in the early 1980s, television had gradually become a “necessity” for families, as viewers gained interest in entertainment programs (Li, 2008). The CCTV Young Singer Television Competition emerged as the first music talent television program in China. It not only advanced the development of music creation and stage performance, but also led to the ladder-type mechanism of music talent selection and cultivation after holding the competition annually. Hence, viewers witnessed the emergence of a large number of singers and well-known songs which remain popular. In brief, CCTV’s Young Singer Television Competition was born naturally and became the focus of society in the 80’s (Zi, 2010). With the advent of the 21st century, the cultural atmosphere and entertainment environment fundamentally changed. In 2004, Super Girl emerged as the most successful music talent program and earned the reputation of star maker in China, according to CMS media research. From the first season in 2004 to the last season in 2011, it managed to involve the participation of the most viewers. From teenagers to 50 years old fans, Super Girl generated a rating of 10% in daytime (Lin, 2005). With an unmatched audience rating, commercial value and entertaining effect, it overshadowed all of its competitors. In 2 addition, it gave great impetus to the television industry in combining entertainment and commerce. In 2012, Zhejiang Television introduced a new talent show called The Voice of` China. This talent show attracted wide attention since its premiere. In addition to creating an atmosphere of mass entertainment, it also created a cultural effect, yielding significant economic benefits. Highlighted by the separation of production and distribution, and the participation of an excellent creative team, it has also created another new round of reform among music talent shows in China. The Voice of China also took the lead in introducing the commission mode, which separates production and distribution. After signing a contract with the production team, talent-show contestants had exclusive access to the proceeds of commercial performances or concerts. The production team made available the best resources so as to create all possible opportunities for contestants and also to create a complete industrial chain. This has brought about a new concept for the production of television talent shows in China. CMC-News Asia Holdings Limited, CEO Ming Tian says: “An industry chain is divided into 3 parts; program content + marketing channels + sales. When The Voice of China operated according to this industry chain, the greatest value was the value of the brand. “（ent.sina.com.cn） 3 1.2 Statement of the Problem The maximization of cultural benefits, social benefits and economic benefits not only represent the success of the program but also advance the progress of society (sina.com.cn). Hence, a successful television music talent show can facilitate the formation and development of television talent show’s industrial chain (Yang, 2015). However, some problems have emerged, such as how the music industry works with the television industry; the key to adapting foreign shows and how to keep attracting a mass audience in China, as well as what makes a television music talent show a lasting success. 1.3 Background From 2010 to 2015, the development of television music talent shows was diverse. Since the success of Super Girl in 2005, the audience has undergone aesthetic fatigue (Sun, 2010) in the face of those talents shows lacking diversity of content. In 2013, Hunan Television introduced the talent show I am a Singer from the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation of South Korea. With the emergence of I am a Singer, talent shows presented a brand-new experience to the audience and also created a new path for the development of the genre. With a high audience rating guaranteed, advertising revenue generated on the night of the championship took the music talent show to a new high (Zhou, 2013). The television music talent show industry in China has been subject to the influence of foreign shows and pressures from politics and media. Music talent shows 4 gradually drove the development of mass entertainment culture (Chen, 2008). As a growing number of music talent shows are presented to the public, they have also offered an opportunity for those people who were singers to go back on the stage. Singers like Coco Lee had to be very brave to face critical judgment from judges, audiences and peers because she was already famous in Asia (ent.qq.com). Many singers also have to accept being eliminated from the stage. The positive competition has brought the music talent show to an all-time high. It has also infused new vigor into the popular music industry. From a commercial perspective, the development of the music talent show genre has also generated enormous commercial revenue. During the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries of exploration and imitation, music talent shows in China have been growing amongst a variety of controversial issues. Gradually, it has brought about a new age for the music industry and created a new path for sustainable development. 1.4 Purpose of the study According to CSM Media Research, in 2011 there was only one music show among 16 reality shows from Hunan, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Beijing television stations. By 2014, that number had grown to seven. With the increasing demand for music reality shows, a large number of famous singers and entertainment stars emerged from the programs, especially gaining popularity among young people. This thesis aims to illustrate the features