International Channel Shanghai Starts English, Japanese Broadcast

Shanghai, China (AHN) - Shanghai, China's economic capital, now has its first television channel broadcasting in foreign languages. International Channel Shanghai opened on Tuesday with broadcasts in English and Japanese, with Chinese subtitles.

It is the first foreign-language television station in China not run by the state-owned China Central Television. ICS is operated by Shanghai Media Group, according to city government spokeswoman Jiao Yang. It aims to serve the 2010 World Expo to be held in China, as well as a showcase of the city's open image.

Also expected to benefit from its foreign-language broadcasts are 150,000 foreign workers and 6 million tourists who visit Shanghai every year. A million extra visitors are expected by the city in 2010, including domestic tourists.

ICS has news, information, fashion, entertainment, canned foreign programs and movies, airing 19 hours a day. The station is available for 4.4 million Internet subscribers in Shanghai, through the Internet Protocol Television.