China bans English abbreviations on TV

CCTV and other media have received a notice issued by the relevant department, in broadcasting, reporter’s interviews and subtitles must not use foreign languages and their abbreviations, for example “GDP”, “WTO”, “CPI”, etc. If under special circumstances the foreign language words and abbreviations are used, the Chinese interpretations must follow. Abbreviations like “NBA”, “CBA” and “F1” etc. must be replaced with full phrases in Chinese language.



Central Chinese Television CCTV, Beijing

Chinese News on April 7 reports, Ever since April, the sports fans who often watch the CCTV sports news programs must have felt awkward – the familiar English abbreviations like “NBA” “CBA” and “F1” are replaced by full Chinese names: “美国职业篮球联赛”(if translate directly: The United States Professional Basketball League) “中国男子篮球联赛”(Chinese Men’s Basketball League) “一级方程式赛车锦标赛” (Formula One Championship)… this was not an April fool’s day joke, reporter confirmed that CCTV and other media have received a notice issued by the relevant department, requiring to stop the use of English abbreviations as much as possible in the future television programs. Currently, many sports news from station including CCTV and Beijing TV already modified their programs.

CCTV sports Channel Director Jiang Heping said in an interview “Before this, CCTV has also conducted survey to its viewers. Survey showed a large part of the viewers do not know what ‘NBA’ is, or ‘NBA’ to them only means basketball, ‘CBA’ and ‘F1’ etc. had the same result. I think that regulation like this not only can affect the audiences’ viewing habits, but it will also help the audiences to understand more of these events.”

In regards to CCTV and other media stop using English Abbreviations, Xie Qian, Professor of Literature in Sichuan University said in an interview “This initiative is nothing new in a foreign country. For example, Russian media already totally banned the usage of foreign languages in television and newspapers.” He said “in Russia, Russian is the most elegant and the purest langue to every citizen. The Strong national pride also let them to refuse foreign languages to appear in various media. This is to protect the purity of the national language, to maintain consistency of the media expressions.” As for the change in Chinese media, he thinks it always plays the same role.

However when the news broke out, most people thought this regulation was outrageous and ridiculous. “Are those experts from Beijing? maybe related to the earthquake couple days ago? Their brain got damaged?” Some made jokes about how life will be without abbreviations.

“I doomed, my cell phone is LG, service is CDMA, I don’t know how to say it. who can help me…”

“LG is Lucky Gold Star, CDMA is Code Division Multiple Access, next time when people ask you, you say I use a Lucky Gold Star cell phone, and the service is Code Division Multiple Access” (Its funnier in Chinese)

Some made fun of the irony and the double standard “If insisting on blocking, it should treat everything equally, ‘CCTV’ is an abbreviation of ‘China Central Television’ (中国中央电视台). Shouldn’t (the usage of) CCTV be blocked too?”

Most supported comments on QQ:

QQ 佛山市网友 undefeated 2010-04-06 17:26:04

Why does it feel more and more like North Korea?

QQ 問乾坤 2010-04-06 17:40:53

The existing social class conflict has become the conflict between the officials’ declining intelligence and the public’s growing intelligence.

QQ 深圳市网友 白杨 2010-04-06 17:39:24

I know what NBA is but I don’t know what CCTV is!!!

QQ 保定市网友 8437165 2010-04-06 17:38:35

This is good, what Chinese common people do not understand should long have been corrected. What is GDP, the rural people do not know what it is; using Chinese can make it clear. Why must we use the English abbreviation, Chinese has plenty of words to make it clear.

QQ 宜春市网友 哆啦美 2010-04-06 17:29:56

In General, this stuff are some people sitting in the office and come up with in a whim, and then let others to put in practice.

QQ 深圳市网友 白杨 2010-04-06 17:42:00

Strongly recommend that first block (the use of) CCTV!

QQ 北京市网友 馨格格 2010-04-06 17:39:47

Huashang News – Jiang Debin, “Everyone knows CCTV, how many people know NBA, F1, GDP, CPI and CBA etc. so called abbreviations?” Especially your grandpas and grandmas!!! Why are you pretending to be a grandson? You grew up by drinking your mom’s milk or by eating shit, inhuman!!!

QQ 网友 657262993 2010-04-06 17:41:50

The force of harmony Broadcasting, agonizing, now the freedom of speech practically non-existent, if the country is not satisfied with you, you will be harmonize.

QQ 贺州市网友 永不孤独 2010-04-06 17:39:47