Loss of ‘The Voice’ urges China to create original shows

The news that Star China will not be getting a fifth season for its popular singing talent show The Voice of China has caused a stir in China. According to a statement sent to the Global Times from Talpa, the sole owner of The Voice and "The Voice of" series including The Voice of China, the licensing contract between Talpa and Star China came to an end on January 8. Meanwhile, a statement from Star China has stated that the reason the production company has not renewed its contract is due to the increase in licensing fees over the past years.

灿星制作将不再制作及播放歌唱类真人秀《中国好声音》第五季节目，此消息一出，引起国内一片轰动。据《The Voice of…》系列包括《中国好声音》模式版权所有者Talpa公司发表的声明显示，灿星制作与Talpa公司在1月8日终止授权合约。而灿星制作方面发表声明称制作公司没有续约是因为这些年版权费涨幅太高。

This has come as sad news for many Chinese fans of the show. The Voice of China has been a must-watch program for millions in the country during the summer since its debut in 2012. Without a doubt, The Voice has been a great success not only in The Netherlands, but also around the world. When I visited Amsterdam in early 2012, the news and reports about the winners of the Dutch version of The Voice could be seen everywhere, even appearing on the front pages on some Dutch newspapers. Months later, the first season of the Chinese edition of The Voice debuted on small screens in the mainland and soon became a huge hit among audiences there.

这一消息令《好声音》广大粉丝失望难过，自2012年首次亮相以来，《中国好声音》便成了暑期国内数百万观众的必看节目。毫无疑问，《好声音》系列不仅在荷兰取得了巨大成功，而且在全球掀起了热潮。在2012年初时，我去阿姆斯特丹游玩，有关《荷兰好声音》冠军的消息在新闻、报导中铺天盖地，更上了一些当地报纸的头条。几个月后，《中国好声音》第一季在大陆首次亮相电视屏幕，在观众间引起了强烈反响。

Doctors at the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) will now decide on his treatment with this show, Star China was able to quickly become a major showbiz production company. The news is sure to be a huge blow to the company, it represents a huge opportunity for another production studio. According to a report on people.com.cn on Friday, Talent International Film has acquired the licensing rights to the show for the next four seasons for $60 million. fter forming a medical board of experts.

借着节目的影响力，灿星制作也迅速成为一家主要影视制作公司，这一终止合同的消息对于该公司来说也是沉重的一击，而对于其他公司，这是一次绝佳的机会。据上周五人民网消息称，唐德影视已经以6000万美元的价格拿下了好声音接下来四季的版权。

Such cases happened all the time in China. One of the world's largest TV markets, most of the shows with the highest viewer ratings are almost all adaptations of foreign licensed shows, such as the recent Chinese version of South Korea's Running Man or 2010's China's Got Talent. License fees are usually not a problem when a show first starts out, but things quickly change as the show becomes increasingly popular. Chinese studios end up having to pay far more money in order to secure the licensing needed for further seasons.

在国内这样的情况并不少见，作为全球最大的电视市场，国内不少高收视率节目都依据国外节目品牌模式进行调整，如最近采取韩国《Running Man》模式的中国版《奔跑吧兄弟》和2010年始的《中国达人秀》。当这些节目刚启动时版权费并不是多大的问题，但节目一旦成熟走红情况就不一样了，为续约制作后期节目，中国制作方需要支付高额模式费。

At entertainment industry seminars experts constantly point out the solution: China needs its own original shows. However, things are easier said than done. Chinese producers are supposed to understand Chinese audiences better than anyone, but apparently that's not the case.

在娱乐行业研讨会上，专家一直呼吁的解决方案是：中国需要创立自主品牌，然而这又谈何容易，而且显然事实并非如此，因为中国制作方比任何人都了解中国观众喜欢看的是什么。

Things truly have to change if the entertainment industry wants to stand on its own two feet. Star China has already started to realize the benefits of having its own original show with Amazing Chinese, which it began producing in 2014.

如果娱乐行业希望依靠自己站稳脚跟，需要改变现状，灿星制作已经意识到原创节目的优势，2014年开始制作《极速前进》。

Other Chinese producers have also started to realize it is better to create their own shows than to rely on licensing. Chinese original comedy show Top Funny Comedian by China's Dragon TV has greatly increased in popularity since its first season. Other examples are sure to follow as more studios realize it's time to make a change.

其他中国制作公司也意识到，依赖国外模式不如创立自主品牌节目，中国原创喜剧节目，东方卫视的《欢乐喜剧人》自第一季播出以来受到了极大的欢迎，随着其他制作公司的觉醒，相信会有越来越多这样的原创节目。