China's so-called "Good Deed TV" is nice in theory, but the network is struggling to find viewers.
For people tired of hearing about terrorist attacks, shootings, and other tragedies, China has the Lei Feng channel, which focuses on selfless acts. The network, based in the city of Fushan, is named for a People's Liberation Army soldier who died in the 1960s.
"We want to see something about the brighter side of human nature, not darker issues such as murder or fire, so that we can feel better after watching," Shang Zeyou, vice-head of the station, told China Youth Daily, according to a translation from BBC News. Some of the channel's original broadcasting has showcased volunteers asking people not to jaywalk and a segment on littering.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
So far, though, the idea hasn't translated to success — Chinese sources report that most people don't know what the channel is, and those who do have it said that they don't want to watch local news.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.