Joy at broadcaster's misfortune
A mainland website poking fun at China Central Television's programmes has become an overnight hit as netizens gloated over the fire that gutted a building in the complex of the state broadcaster's new headquarters.
Netizens who claimed to have been subjected to CCTV's whitewashed news reports and the mainland's strict censorship said they were rejoicing in the fire.
'It was CCTV's nemesis [who started the fire]. Even the creator can't stand the broadcaster's endless lies,' someone wrote. The person said it was a source of joy to see part of the CCTV complex gutted.
Another contributor, poking fun at the authorities' writing style, said the fire 'was timely in driving up domestic demand with new construction projects and actively enlivened this year's Lantern Festival. CCTV enables the country's people to enjoy a joyous night with its incredible fireworks ... Many exulted at the display, suggesting the broadcaster should organise similar events regularly.'
Many said the fire was CCTV's most entertaining event in decades.
The authorities ordered newspapers and websites to strictly follow Xinhua's reports on the fire and banned any independent articles or unauthorised pictures. Journalists complained that they were banned from commenting on the fire.
Another website, called Anti-CCTV, had more than 30,000 visits after the fire. It follows in the footsteps of last year's 'anti-CNN' campaign, which was set up in response to what it called the US broadcaster's biased coverage of the Tibetan unrest.
The site includes more than 70 articles in which it alleges CCTV faked news reports. It also carries jabs at mistakes made by anchors through either a lack of common sense or slips of the tongue.
The anti-CCTV site also offers footage of female hosts putting on their makeup or caught looking into mirrors on screen. CCTV said the clips had been broadcast by mistake.
At least 170,000 netizens have visited the website since it was launched in July.
In January, 22 Beijing academics and lawyers signed an open letter announcing a boycott of CCTV for 'brainwashing news reports'.
They vowed not to watch, listen or discuss any of the broadcaster's output.
How the blaze unfolded
1 Fireworks display put on from 8-8.30pm on Monday night between CCTV Tower and hotel building
2 After display ends, smoke seen coming from top of hotel building
3 Fire breaks out and spreads down throughout structure
4 Blaze extinguished by 2am, leaving about 80 per cent of building burned
The blaze-hit building in numbers
Height: 159 metres
Storeys: 30
Floor space: 100,000 sq m
Hotel rooms: 241
Estimated completion: mid-year
