Phoenix Television
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting, Media |
| Founded | March 31, 1996 |
| Founder | Liu Changle |
| Headquarters | Shenzhen and Hong Kong , China |
Area served | Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, other Chinese-speaking regions |
Key people | Liu Changle (Founder and CEO), Shuang Liu (COO) |
| Products | Television broadcasting, digital media content |
| Owner | Bauhinia Culture (majority shareholder), Today's Asia Limited, Extra Step Investments Limited, TPG China Media L.P., China Wise International Limited |
| Website | www |
Phoenix Television is predominantly a state-controlled broadcaster delivering Mandarin and Cantonese programming aimed at audiences in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and other Chinese-speaking regions. Its headquarters are situated in both Shenzhen and Hong Kong, with official registration in the Cayman Islands.
Established by Liu Changle (), who previously served as an officer in the People's Liberation Army and worked as a journalist for the CCP-managed China National Radio, Phoenix maintains close connections to the Chinese Communist Party leadership. Liu holds a standing position on the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
Although Phoenix Television brands itself as a Hong Kong media entity, it operates under a non-domestic television programme services license within Hong Kong. Its main market and asset base are primarily located in mainland China. The largest shareholder is Bauhinia Culture, an enterprise fully owned by the Chinese government. According to Freedom House, Phoenix is considered pro-Beijing; however, some experts observe it can occasionally adopt stances more liberal than those of mainland Chinese outlets.
The company maintains principal offices in Shenzhen, Guangdong, and Tai Po, Hong Kong, alongside correspondent bureaus in Beijing and Shanghai. Nearly 50% of its television content is produced at its Shenzhen production center.
History
Phoenix Television began as a collaborative venture involving Star TV in Hong Kong, a private Chinese firm, and China Central Television. The Phoenix Chinese Channel was inaugurated on 31 March 1996, succeeding Star Chinese Channel's presence in both Hong Kong and mainland China. Broadcasts extended to Singapore starting 1 December 1996 via Singapore Cable Vision. Initial programming featured Mandarin-dubbed American shows such as The X-Files and Baywatch.
The Phoenix CNE channel serves audiences across Europe, while the Phoenix North America Chinese Channel targets viewers in the Americas. In 2005, a broadcast director based in California was apprehended for espionage linked to China and subsequently sentenced to a decade in prison.
On 28 March 2011, Phoenix introduced the Cantonese-language Phoenix Hong Kong Channel. That same year, the Phoenix InfoNews Channel received a Peabody Award recognizing its coverage of migrant labor issues within China.
Between 2011 and 2012, Phoenix New Media collaborated with both the BBC and Canada’s National Film Board to distribute their digital content within China, broadening its digital media portfolio.
In October 2013, TPG Capital purchased a 12.15% ownership stake in Phoenix Television from 21st Century Fox for HK$1.66 billion (US$213 million), representing a notable change in shareholding structure.
In February 2016, Phoenix Television aired forced confessions involving abducted Hong Kong booksellers, demonstrating its involvement with politically sensitive material. By June 2020, the FCC mandated that XEWW-AM, a Phoenix-owned station, halt broadcasting operations within the United States.
In April 2022, Taiwan’s government classified Phoenix as an entity funded by the Chinese government and required its withdrawal from the Taiwanese market.
Amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a reporter from Phoenix TV was among the limited number of foreign journalists embedded with Russian armed forces, underscoring the network’s scope in international reporting.
Ownership
At the time of its inception, the company’s ownership was divided with Star TV and a private Chinese enterprise each holding 45%, while the state broadcaster China Central Television possessed a 10% stake.
The initial investment by News Corporation (which later became 21st Century Fox) in Phoenix Television, conducted through Star, was gradually diminished and eventually sold entirely to TPG Capital in October 2013.
The 2018 annual report detailed the ownership distribution as follows:
| Name | Shares | Percentage | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Today's Asia Limited | 1,854,000,000 | 37.13% | Fully owned by founder Liu Changle. |
| Extra Step Investments Limited | 983,000,000 | 19.69% | Controlled by China Mobile Hong Kong, a subsidiary of the state-owned China Mobile. |
| TPG China Media, L.P. | 607,000,000 | 12.16% | Affiliated with TPG Capital, led by David Bonderman and James Coulter. |
| China Wise International Limited | 412,000,000 | 8.25% | Owned by Bank of China, under Central Huijin Investment and the sovereign wealth fund of the government. |
In April 2021, Liu divested the majority of his shares to Bauhinia Culture, a state-owned publisher, along with Shun Tak Holdings.
Management
Liu Changle (), the founder and CEO of Phoenix TV, previously worked as a journalist for China National Radio, which is controlled by the Chinese Communist Party following the Cultural Revolution. By the 1990s, he had become one of China's wealthiest figures, maintaining close connections with Beijing’s leadership.
Shuang Liu () assumed the role of COO at Phoenix TV on 17 February 2014 and continues to serve as CEO of Phoenix New Media Ltd (NYSE: FENG), a leading new media company in China.
Chung Pong, a former news director at Phoenix TV, testified that the channel's content was heavily influenced by directives from the Central Communist Propaganda Department, Overseas Propaganda Office, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.