Star China Media


Star China Media is a Chinese media company currently owned by China Media Capital. Its businesses were previously a part of the original News Corporation's Star group of television channels in Hong Kong, but China Media Capital took over a percentage of shares in them in 2010, and completed acquisition in 2014. The company operates television channels Xing Kong and Channel V Mainland China, and maintains Fortune Star film library.

History

Founding

was founded in British Hong Kong in 1991 as a joint venture between Hutchison Whampoa and Li Ka-Shing. It was launched as a Pan-Asian beam-to-air Hollywood English-language entertainment channel for Asian audiences.

1991 - 2009

In 1991, Star Greater China included Prime Sports, Star Plus, BBC WSTV, MTV, The Children's Channel and Star Chinese Channel.
In 1992, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation purchased 63.6% of STAR for $525 million, followed by the purchase of the remaining 36.4% on 1 January 1993. Star broadcasting operations were run from Rupert Murdoch's Fox Broadcasting premises. Murdoch declared that: In June 1993, Star TV and Wharf Cable signed a deal in which Hong Kong's new cable television provider would carry Star TV's channels. However, the deal was terminated in February 1994 in the carriage dispute between the two parties.
On 30 March 1996 at 7 pm Hong Kong Time, Star TV split Star Plus and Star Chinese Channel by certain areas Star Plus would serve viewers in South Asia and the Middle East, while East and Southeast Asian viewers would receive the new Star World channel and Star Chinese Channel would still be available to the viewers in Taiwan, but the television watchers in Hong Kong and the Mainland China would get the new Phoenix Chinese Channel instead.
In October 1996, Star Sports and ESPN Asia have agreed to combine their loss making operations in Asia. The new joint venture, later named ESPN Star Sports, would be headquartered in Singapore.
In 2009, News Corporation restructured Star so Star India and Star Greater China were separated from its Hong Kong headquarters. Among the assets Star Greater China would oversaw included Xing Kong, Channel V Mainland China and Fortune Star film library.

Sale to CMC

In August 2010, it was announced that News Corporation would sell a controlling stake in its assets in mainland China to China Media Capital, which was headed by Li Ruigang. Xing Kong and Channel V Mainland China, plus Fortune Star film library were in the sale, and a joint venture named Star China Media was created in the process.
In January 2014, the company's management team and CMC acquired the remaining stake from 21st Century Fox. This marked 21st Century Fox's exit from Mandarin entertainment television market in Mainland China.

Businesses

;Television channels
;Television production
;Film library