News site says producer, two others linked to corruption allegations

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Three employees of China Central Television, including a young anchor and a producer, have reportedly been detained by disciplinary authorities in connection with a corruption probe of two of the network's senior producers.

Caixin.com reported on Tuesday that Wang Shijie, a producer of a financial and economic news channel at CCTV, and two female employees at the network were "taken away" by authorities.

The news site, quoting an anonymous source from CCTV, did not name the two female workers, nor did it elaborate how they were connected with the two senior producers placed under investigation earlier this month.

Anti-graft authorities have not confirmed the Caixin report, and CCTV did not respond to it as of Tuesday evening.

On June 1, the Supreme People's Procuratorate announced authorities were investigating Guo Zhenxi, director-general of CCTV's finance and economics channel, and Tian Liwu, a producer for the channel, on corruption accusations.

The two are being investigated on bribery allegations, and the case is still under investigation, the top procuratorate said. Details into the allegations were not released.

Caixin's report said Wang, who is also chief finance officer of the CCTV finance and economic channel, has a close relationship with Guo.

Guo is in charge of two influential programs for CCTV's finance and economics channel: 315 Evening Gala and Economic Person of the Year. The 315 Evening Gala program exposes business misconduct each year on March 15, which is World Consumer Rights Day.

A report by Global People said Guo allegedly obtained 2 billion yuan ($320 million) through illegal means while he served as head of the CCTV finance and economics channel for eight years. The report said many companies have had to bribe PR firms controlled by Guo in exchange for the network's silence on company misconduct.

Liu Xiaoying, a professor of media research at Communication University of China, said the anti-graft campaign against news media will likely be strengthened.

The investigation of Guo and four other CCTV employees comes amid a clean-governance campaign over news professionals and media regulators.

In December, Li Dongsheng, then vice-minister of public security, was charged with corruption. Li worked for CCTV from 1978 to 2000. The case is pending.

Gao Jianyun, deputy director of the fifth bureau of the International Communication Office of the CPC Central Committee, was investigated for grave violations of discipline and law on April 18. The fifth bureau is in charge of Internet regulations.

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