CCTV establishes DC headquarters

China Central Television (CCTV) opened new headquarters in Washington, DC, in a bid to expand its influence in the US market, the Financial Times reported. The state-owned company hopes to begin broadcasting from the new location by the middle of 2012 and produce up to six hours of programming each day. CCTV also has facilities in Nairobi and plans to open new headquarters in Europe. CCTV is widely believed to be following the strategy set by Al Jazeera, the state-backed Qatari broadcaster that has achieved some success in English-speaking markets. While CCTV does currently have an English-language channel, its reach in the US market is limited to select satellite providers. The organization has been attempting to change its news programming, which is widely viewed in Western markets as over-censored and of inferior quality.