OKTO-ZRTG cooperation: Austrian-Chinese television programming exchange

In June 2015, the Chinese media group “Zhejiang Radio Television Group” (ZRTG) and “Austrian Community TV-GmbH” (which operates the community TV station OKTO) signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement.

This cooperation agreement was preceded by OKTO’s broadcasting of “Die Entdeckung von Zhejiang” (The discovery of Zhejiang), a documentary series portraying Chinese culture, traditions, and economic development in the Chinese province of Zhejiang. This production and the OKTO format “China am Puls” (China on the pulse) stirred mutual interest and laid the foundation for the desire of both sides to expand their cooperation and conclude a framework agreement for further activities. The two media companies agreed to continue their exchange of programming and provide support to each other, including help in obtaining shooting permits or scouting for locations in the respective other country, exchange of know-how and experience on the respective media landscapes and television markets, and future co-productions.

ZRTG is one of China’s largest broadcasting networks and is owned by the Province of Zhejiang. Over 70% of the Chinese nationals living in Austria come from this region.

Community TV GmbH is a non-profit organisation that operates the Vienna-based community TV station OKTO. As such, it is a participatory non-commercial media company, offering production teams, interest groups, initiatives, and interested individuals opportunities to produce their programmes independently, experiment with new formats, have their voices heard, and increase their media competence, therewith contributing to media plurality and the diversity of available content. With its cooperation with ZRTG, OKTO further expands its cooperative arrangements for the international exchange of programming and enables community formats to circulate beyond Europe.