Project: The use of ICT in Entertainment industry in China

Recent years the new ICT has been put to use in entertainment TV program show in China with markedly increase, such as mobile phone voting and live webcasting. The main methods are voting by SMS, voting on website, live tracking of the show’s participants, etc. Such applications have greatly enhanced public’s participation, and led to a new flourish of the entertainment field, with derivative and diversified interaction between public and TV program, fans and new stars, and participants and entertainment agencies. It also created a great success in TV programs’ commercial operation.

My research is about how ICT and the related supporting services revitalize Chinese entertainment TV program, including 3 parts:

1. How do all the interest group/shareholders (government, TV Stations, entertainment agencies, advertisement vendors, audiences and publics) interact with each other?

2. How do ICT enable public to participate the Game?

3. The perspectives, challenges and critiques towards the industry

I will analysis two top national-popular programs as the case study: The Chinese Idol and My Hero. Research methods include interview, case analysis, and data/statistic. I’m also considering about comparing the Chinese model with its American counterpart to find its strengthen and weakness, as well as trace its development process.