'Red' TV programming axed as China's leaders struggle over future of the country

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Fox News:

It was a throwback to the not-too-distant troubled past for China, and it had the country's Communist leaders worried.

Chongqing Satellite Television, which is available across mainland China, was at the vanguard of attempts to promote Communism while most other channels went in search of ratings rather than revolutionary songs.

Its TV shows included gripping titles such as "Everyday Red Songs," "Liberation" and "Moving Ahead for New China."

There was also one called "Sounds of Gunshots on the Plains," but it seems unlikely it was a Chinese ‘Cowboy' serial.

Commercials were also banned and all prime-time serials were canceled.

The TV station is reported to have lost $48 million during the "Red" drive.

It was the most aggressive move against "Western" style TV programming, but went much further than the Chinese leadership's own campaign to get rid of American Idol-type shows that had proliferated across TV channels.

Now the martial music and Communist propaganda shows have been scrapped on the satellite operator and already TV commercials are back and popular variety shows and sitcoms are reported to be returning next month.

Yet it's not because of poor ratings, but rather more likely a casualty of the murky world of Chinese politics.

The architect of the "Red" TV shows was local Communist Party Chief Bo Xilai.

He had been pushing for a revival of Communist ideals from his powerbase in the southwestern city of Chongqing, know as China's Chicago.

Apart from the new TV programming, he had also promoted Communism by sending officials to work on farms and pushing workers to sing revolutionary tunes, which had gone out of favor more than a decade ago.

It seemed to be part of a campaign by Bo to become a national figure.

The Hong Kong based South China Morning Post newspaper put it this way:

"Bo's latest attempt to promote red culture -- a campaign he launched in mid-2008 -- is widely seen as part of an intensified push for a seat on the Politburo Standing Committee."

It didn't quite work out as he planned.

Bo was unceremoniously sacked by China's leadership in a developing story that is currently gripping the country.

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The Revolution won't be advertised...