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 Headquarters in Shenzhen | |
Native name | 鳳凰衛視投資（控股）有限公司 |
|---|---|
| Company type | Public;State-owned enterprise |
| SEHK: 2008 NYSE: FENG | |
| Industry | Broadcasting |
| Founded | 31 March 1996; 28 years ago (1996-03-31) |
| Headquarters | Shenzhen,Guangdong, China Tai Po,Hong Kong |
Key people | Liu Changle (Founder; former chairman and chief executive officer), Chui Keung (Deputy chief executive officer, Chief Compliance Officer), Liu Shuang (Chief Operating Officer of Phoenix Satellite TV, CEO of Phoenix New Media) |
| Products | Television content, Television programming |
| Revenue | HK$3159m (2021)[1] |
 HK$703m (2021)[1] | |
 HK$299m (2021)[1] | |
| Parent | Bauhinia Culture |
| Website | www |
| |
| Country | China |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Worldwide |
| Programming | |
| Picture format | HDTV1080i |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Phoenix Television |
| Sister channels | Phoenix InfoNews Channel Phoenix Chinese News and Entertainment Channel Phoenix North America Chinese Channel Phoenix Movies Channel Phoenix Hong Kong Channel |
| History | |
| Launched | 31 March 1996 |
| Replaced | Star Chinese Channel |
| Phoenix Chinese Channel | |||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 鳳凰衛視中文台 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 凤凰卫视中文台 | ||||||||||
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| Alternative Chinese name | |||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 鳳凰衛視 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 凤凰卫视 | ||||||||||
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Phoenix Television is a majoritystate-owned television network that offersMandarin andCantonese-language channels that servemainland China,Hong Kong,Macau, and other markets with substantial Chinese-language viewers. It is headquartered inShenzhen andHong Kong. It is also registered inCayman Islands.[2]
The founder of Phoenix TV, Liu Changle (劉長樂), was an officer and political instructor in thePeople's Liberation Army in its40th Group Army.[3] He later became a journalist for theChinese Communist Party (CCP)-controlledChina National Radio after theCultural Revolution and remains well-connected to the CCP's leadership.[4] Liu is a standing member of the National Committee of theChinese People's Political Consultative Conference.[5]
Phoenix Television calls itself aHong Kong media outlet[6] but holds a non-domestic television programme services license in Hong Kong.[7] Most of the company's customers and non-current assets come from mainland China.[8]Bauhinia Culture, a company wholly owned by theChinese government, is its largest shareholder.[9]Freedom House describes Phoenix Television as pro-Beijing.[10]Stephen McDonell ofBBC News described the outlet as "sometimes more liberal than its mainland counterparts".[11]
The company's head offices are located inShenzhen,Guangdong andTai Po,Hong Kong and it also has correspondent offices inBeijing andShanghai. The Shenzhen office is said to produce half its TV output.[12]
What eventually became Phoenix Television started as a joint venture betweenStar TV inHong Kong, one private company in China, andChina Central Television.[13]
Phoenix Chinese Channel was launched on 31 March 1996. It replacedStar Chinese Channel inHong Kong andmainland China.[14] Broadcasts in Singapore started on 1 December 1996 via theSingapore Cable Vision network; in its early years, the Phoenix Chinese Channel also carried Mandarin-dubbed American series during primetime hours, such asThe X-Files andBaywatch.[15]
The Phoenix CNE channel broadcasts in Europe, while the Phoenix North America Chinese Channel goes out in the Americas. In 2005, aCalifornia-based broadcast and engineering director for the channel, Tai Wang Mak, was arrested for conspiring with his brother,Chi Mak, to act as an intelligence agent for China.[16] A 10-year prison sentence was announced in 2008.[17][18]
On 28 March 2011, Phoenix Television launched Phoenix Hong Kong Channel, broadcasting exclusively inCantonese.[19]
On 31 March 2011, Phoenix InfoNews Channel was announced as aPeabody Award winner for its "Report on a New Generation of Migrant Workers in China."[20]
In 2011, Phoenix New Media formed a partnership with theBBC to offer the British broadcaster's programming on Phoenix's digital media platforms. This was followed by a similar partnership with theNational Film Board of Canada in 2012, under which 130 NFB animated shorts and documentary films would be offered digitally in China.[21]
In October 2013, the 12.15% of shares in Phoenix Television held by21st Century Fox (through Star) were sold toTPG Capital for HK$1.66 billion (US$213 million).[22][23][24]
In February 2016, Phoenix Television broadcastforced confessions ofkidnapped Hong Kong booksellers.[25][26][10]In June 2020, the FCC orderedXEWW-AM, owned by Phoenix Television, to cease broadcasting.[27]
The Taiwanese government designated Phoenix as a Chinese government-funded company in April 2022, and required the company to end operations in Taiwan.[28]
During theRussian invasion of Ukraine, a Phoenix TV reporter was one of the only foreign journalists to embed with the Russian military.[29]
At launch, Star TV and a private sector company in China each owned 45% of the company, and state broadcasterChina Central Television owned the remaining 10%.[13]
The originalNews Corporation's (and subsequently21st Century Fox's) shares in Phoenix Television held through Star were gradually reduced over the years. Finally, 21st Century Fox sold its shares toTPG Capital in October 2013.[30][22][23][24]
According to the company's 2018[needs update] annual report, the company is owned by the following entities:[2]
| Name | Shares | Percentage | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Today's Asia Limited | 1,854,000,000 | 37.13% | A company beneficially owned by Liu Changle (100%). |
| Extra Step Investments Limited | 983,000,000 | 19.69% | A company owned byChina Mobile Hong Kong, which is a part of state-ownedChina Mobile. |
| TPG China Media, L.P. | 607,000,000 | 12.16% | Part ofTPG Capital and beneficially controlled byDavid Bonderman andJames Coulter.[2] |
| China Wise International Limited | 412,000,000 | 8.25% | China Wise is owned byBank of China, which is owned byCentral Huijin Investment, a subsidiary of the government'sChina Investment Corporation sovereign wealth fund, which reports to theState Council of the People's Republic of China. |
In April 2021, Liu sold most of his shares to state-owned publisher Bauhinia Culture andShun Tak Holdings.[31][32] As of September 2024[update], theMedia and Journalism Research Center evaluated Phoenix Television to be "Captured Public or State Managed/Owned Media" under itsState Media Matrix.[33][34]
Liu Changle (劉長樂), CEO and founder of Phoenix TV, was a journalist for the Chinese Communist Party-controlled China National Radio after the Cultural Revolution and had become one of China's richest men by the 1990s, being well-connected to the Beijing leadership.[3][4]
Shuang Liu (刘爽) became COO of Phoenix TV on 17 February 2014. He continues to be the CEO of Phoenix New Media Ltd (NYSE: FENG), a new media company in China.[35]
Former director of Phoenix TV news Chung Pong testified under oath that Phoenix TV news' programing was "subject to the dictates of the leadership of the Central Communist Propaganda Department, Central Communist Overseas Propaganda Office, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."[36]
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Chinese-language television in Southeast Asia | |
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The following channels offer at least some programming in Chinese | |
 Brunei |
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 Cambodia |
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 Indonesia |
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 Malaysia | |
 Philippines |
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 Singapore |
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 Thailand |
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