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China To Give Residency Rights To Migrant Families (Photo : Getty Images)

NCTV held a grand opening ceremony on Tuesday at the Metropolis Museum in Auckland to launch a new TV channel that targets the Chinese community in New Zealand and features locally produced shows. Besides Chinese, the new TV station owned by Asia Pacific News Corporation, targets also Kiwis and Asian Kiwis who are interested in Chinese culture.

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The opening ceremony unveiled a show reel of new programming of NCTV which officially launches on Sunday, March 19. The new TV station would have one-third local programming, one-third from Xinhua Television Channel and the remaining one-third from third party sources, Scoop.nz reported.

English & Chinese Subtitles

The focus of the locally produced content are Chinese community news, entertainment, culture and lifestyle. Some of the programs would air in English language and all would have Chinese and English subtitles to ensure that it would have a wide audience reach.

It would broadcast 24/7 on Freeview Channel 32, although for now the coverage is only Auckland region but would expand across New Zealand in time. Shows include, news and current affairs, tourism, property, entertainment, finance, legal and immigration information, and learning Mandarin language.

NCTV Builds Bridges Between 2 Countries

NCTV’s mission is to build a bridge between China and New Zealand – where there are a lot of Chinese migrants including some women who were caught in January engaged in the flesh trade. The station hopes to achieve that goal by increasing the understanding and enjoyment of the cultures of both countries and to boost significantly Chinese broadcasting standard in New Zealand, Frank Peng, president of the 24/7 channel, said.

“There is a considerable appetite among the Chinese community for high quality television programmes that speaks to their interests and experiences in New Zealand,” Peng observed. He added that the NCTV audience would include Kiwis and Asian Kiwis since New Zealander are also interested and want to take part in the activities of other cultures in the country.

He estimates the Asian population in New Zealand to 600,000 with Chinese as the largest ethnic group. However, by 2025, the Asian population is forecast to expand to 900,000 and further grow to 1.2 million by 2038. A 2013 census showed there were 170,000 Chinese who live in Auckland, Stuff.co.nz reported.