Beijing Calling: The Trouble With China's New English-Language News Network

The Chinese government has dreamed for years of creating an English-language news network that could successfully compete with CNN or Al Jazeera for global eyeballs. The TodayChina network is China's third attempt to start a BBC of its own. Will the third time be the charm?

TodayChina will be initially available to viewers in New York, Beijing, and Hong Kong. Another Chinese state-operated news network, CCTV News, already airs in New York and much of the United States. However, CCTV News has been hampered by cultural translation issues and a microscopic advertising budget. A second China-based news network, CNC World, is operated by the state Xinhua news agency and appears on a modest amount of American cable and satellite systems.