Chongqing TV Airs First Commercial in a Year, Netizens React

by Joe on Saturday, March 17, 2012 24 comments comments

Chongqing TV (CTV) aired its first television commercial yesterday shortly after the fall from grace for the former Chongqing Party Secretary Bo Xilai, who during his tenure banned commercials from airing on CTV and instead promoted “Red Songs” to educate people. Netizens’ reactions were mixed with some supporting the former secretary for the development of Chongqing and others believing that his policies harkens back to the era of Mao.

Comments on Youku:

herrlin:

The radical left is mobilizing, why you don’t think about why Chongqing developed so fast, it was from Central Government’s incentives and investment. Do you honestly believe it is from the work of a certain person. Striking black [corruption & gangs] is a good thing but the motive and method must be questioned. If the Chongqing people still believe that a god from heaven will bring about peace and stability then the efforts since the Xinhai Revolution would be wasted. If you indeed believe in the personality cult then the Manchu Dynasty would be a good choice. Wake up everyone.

t22222222:

Whether Bo Xilai is good or not, that is up to the people to decide, not the officials.

legality:

Finally can watch commercials on Chongqing TV, and don’t have to sing red songs every day, I’m so happy.

kkisscat:

No matter what other people say, I will always support Mayor Bo Xilai at least in those years when he was the mayor of Dalian, the city was clean and beautiful! My heart has only one mayor and that is Bo Xilai! I sincerely hope he comes back to retire in Dalian! If Chongqing does not want you Dalian does! Every Dalian resident welcomes you home!

kuoshaowu:

Chongqing TV not broadcasting commercials was to have an unadulterated channel for the growing audience. Regarding the interests of commercials, Chongqing still have many other channels, such as the entertainment channel, traffic channel, education channel, etc., all of which have commercials.

胖胖的大老虎:

TV station with commercials is a perfectly normal business practice, if you do not broadcast commercials you are clearly in opposition to the market economy.

520qqkiss:

TV station in Bo’s eyes is an educational textbook, Chongqing TV never broadcast regular TV dramas or variety shows instead only “red” themed material…makes one wonder if we are taking a step back…

90后博士生:

Television employees are happy now, prostitutes are happy now, gangsters are happy now…

thisisyy:

I personally feel the media should be free, what they do and what they broadcast should not be interfered by the government. As long as it is not illegal, ratings are more important.

xixiaowei29:

Bo Xilai is a good secretary of the people! History and practice will be a testament to his political accomplishments!

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MassiveBender

The term sofa is banded about a lot these days
- MassiveBender
  
  I wish you could delete comments, I feel so dirty.
  - Chef Rocco
    
    Don’t be so, a massive bender on a sofa fits well as a commercial here, especially for bleeding-hearted liberals.
    
    Please legalize bender on sofa, people!
dim mak

That was quick
Pointless to ban anyway, coulda been more ad revenue

And I still don’t understand what the whole Wang Lijun thing was about… what’s the problem exactly?
- http://www.wtchina.freeforums.org Elijah
  
  Government official in china…
  
  I ‘ll give you 3 guesses, but the first 2 don’t count.
  
  It must have been pretty serious and easy to prove since old Bo there lost a seat on the NPC…
  
  Then again, his replacement is not better at all especially considering his history in Guangdong.
  - Alan
    
    And just what do you know about guangdong, o goateed one?
    - moop
      
      Alan, you’re starting to come off as an asshole.
      - Alan
        
        It was merely a question to the all seeing great goateed one?!
- Chef Rocco
  
  The whole Wang Lijun incident isn’t about a hero falling down into a traitor, but about which direction China would pick for its future, quite dramatic and significant, you’d better keep yourself posted on it.
  - Dr. Jones Jr.
    
    Absolutely. Personally, I’ve been following the Bo Xilai story since 2008 when he was posted to Chongqing. I was in that city before he arrived–and have some good personal anecdotes on the degree of corruption in what was certainly a city caught in the nexus between gangsters and government officials.
    
    So, a few points on Bo Xilai:
    1) He seems to have been quite good for business in general (not something you’d think, given all the recent hoopla about the red songs, etc.). Prior to him, ANY foreign venture located in Chongqing was going to be targeted for all sorts of counterproductive rent-seeking and malice on the part of local government. I’m assuming that didn’t go away completely during the Bo Xilai period (does it ever, anywhere in China?), but based on personal experience and anecdotes of others’, as well as the major investment boost that followed, he did make a major difference there.
    
    2) The red songs thing, as icky as it is to most, strikes me as a purely political move. I have the feeling that when in (even higher echelons of) power, he would have probably profoundly disappointed the old-school Maoists who were rooting for him because of this (very recent) red song drive. His business sensibilities don’t strike me as being terribly Maoist, for one. As the posters above note: the other local channels weren’t divested of ads or entertainment, just this one ‘Potempkin’ channel.
    
    3) Abuse of law procedure in going after criminals. Isn’t this the kind of shit that ALL Chinese officials do? What do we expect? Not to absolve him of it; it’s pretty clear that due process (such as it is in China) was trampled on. I’m just not sure where we’d go to find an alternate example.
    
    4) How the people of Chongqing view him. Mildly annoyed with the red song stuff, in some cases, but overall very positive. My in-laws (who are Chongqing ren) were particularly approving of Bo Xilai’s requirement for the police to get out of their comfy offices and stay in curbside kiosks so they’d be both visible and available to the people. Traffic management improved a lot, I believe. Other things, like development of housing for poor and deconstruction of the hukou were probably still in the works and (if those projects are continued) may pay future dividends in terms of the positivity of his legacy in the eyes of the locals.
    
    Final thoughts: A more visible, effective, and controversial politician than almost any other in China. One with clear and interesting policies that weren’t buried in mountains of obfuscating drivel. A fascinating fellow, even if you don’t agree with all of his policies or methods. I’ll miss this saga, assuming Bo Xilai doesn’t manage a phoenix maneuver.
    - Roger
      
      Dr. Jones (Aqua song name or your last name?), thanks for your personal insight. It does seem like he did indeed earn many people’s trust and admiration in Chongqing.
      
      In your opinion do he in western China really needed all those “Red” political moves to gain power? I thought Chongqing being a huge city would be more forward thinking?
      
      Anyways keep up the good posts.
- notorious
  
  i read on wikipedia (yah, I know…) that he accused Bo Xilai was “the biggest gangster in china” so I guess he lost face and his political ambitions curtailed? What I don’t understand is why did the U.S. not help wang lijun when he tried to defect?
  - Dr. Jones Jr.
    
    As to your final question:
    
    A) US doesn’t have a horse in this race (I’m guessing, of course).
    
    B) Wang Lijun went to the consulate in Chengdu. Take a good look at a map. There’s not much they *could* do.
  - 平凡人
    
    He is of no use to the U.S., information provided is only good for China’s internal use.
    
    Moreover at times like this, why strain the relationship?
http://www.matthewsawtell.com Matthew A. Sawtell

Out with old, in with the new… going to be interesting to see what other changes come into focus.
donscarletti

What I got out of this video is Chongqing is much warmer than Beijing. You could see miniskirts at those temperatures, even in China.
anon

Whether red songs or commercials, both are advertisements and propaganda meant to manipulate people. Different players, same game.
Hello

i dont care
pervertt

I can only say that China must be desperately short of political talent for someone like Bo Xilai to have such a vocal cheer squad. China dodged a heavy calibre bullet when Bo was bumped off the stage and his Chongqing model was derided by his bosses in Beijing.
Foreign Devil

Bo Xilai was Canada’s best “connection” in China. . . Why Canada was so chummy with this commie, mao worshipping regressive politician is beyond me. . But now they just lost their big influence in China. Serves them right.
mp

During the Cultural Revolution, the Party was never against airing commercials, but understood that the overall message had to embrace Mao Zedong thought. After all, are comrades able to sit through the entire Red Detachment of Women, or the East is Red without a commercial break? We did not want another Hai Rui Dismissed from Office debacle, and with artists such as Wu Han in political prison, it was necessary to look elsewhere for suitable ideas.

In order to exploit the on-going Criticize Lin, Criticize Confucius campaign, and also highlight the decadence of those taking the capitalist road, we decided to air some Homer and Jethro cereal commercials from America. But this didn’t work out, since not only did anyone understand the words, but no one knew what corn flakes were, or where to buy them.

Jiang Qing: Statement on CCP advertising policy during the Cultural Revolution; from official trial transcripts, Day 5 of proceedings, Nov 25th, 1980.
Dam

At least it is better than red songs constantly playing.
Loubo

This has been one of the more exciting [political controversies in some time. A rare moment when differences of party opinion were public..say what you want about Bo but he was providing some public debate
Ah Q

Premier Wen Jiabao recently said in a closed meeting that China may be headed toward a second cultural revolution. Therefore I have begun to brush up on red songs, and I have been making lists of my neighbors and work associates who should have public criticism.