List of China Media Group channels


Broadcast since 1 May 1958 as China Central Television, CMG has a total of 49 television channels as of February 2021, consisting of 26 free channels, 17 pay channels and 6 foreign channels, making CMG the world's largest number of TV channels operated by a single television network. All CMG channels are broadcasting around the world through satellite, cable and on Internet television. Those channels are listed below in sequence of launch day.

Television channels

Free public channels

All channels below are using Mandarin Chinese, with some news-related programmes showing sign language on the bottom-left or bottom-right.
NameFormatLaunch dateSloganNote
CCTV-1SD: PAL 576i 16:9
HD: 1080i
UHD: 2160p
2 September 1958
28 September 2009
-The first TV channel of People's Republic of China, renamed to China Central Television on 1 May 1978, defined as CCTV-1 during launching of CCTV-2, and renamed to CCTV General when launch of CCTV-13.
CCTV-2SD: PAL 576i 16:9
HD: 1080i
UHD: 2160p
1 May 1973
1 January 2014
财经频道,看见价值 'The first color TV channel of People's Republic of China, at the earlier test launch era, the programmes are related to education, later for economical.
CCTV-3SD: PAL 576i 16:9
HD: 1080i
UHD: 2160p
1 January 1986
28 September 2012
艺启欢笑 艺起发光 '
CCTV-4SD: PAL 576i 16:9
HD: 1080i
UHD: 2160p
1 October 1992
15 April 2015
5 February 2016
20 February 2017
传承中华文明 服务全球华人 'Was general television for culture. Was having English and Cantonese programmes before 2006, channel signal split to 3 edition in 2006, bilingual captions available since 2009 for dramas.
CCTV-5SD: PAL 576i 16:9
HD: 1080i
UHD: 2160p
1 January 1995
28 September 2012
May temporarily rename to Olympic channel during Olympic Games, before launch of CCTV-16
CCTV-6SD: PAL 576i 16:9
HD: 1080i
UHD: 2160p
1 January 1996
15 December 2012
打开电视看电影 'Owned by PDCCP, co-operate by China Film Group Corporation
CCTV-7SD: PAL 576i 16:9
HD: 1080i
UHD: 2160p
30 November 1995
1 January 2014
-
CCTV-8SD: PAL 576i 16:9
HD: 1080i
UHD: 2160p
1 January 1996
28 September 2012
-
CCTV-9SD: PAL 576i 16:9
HD: 1080i
UHD: 2160p
1 January 2011
1 January 2014
记录,天地之间 'On 31 December 2016, the CCTV Documentary International has re-packaged to be CGTN Documentary
CCTV-10SD: PAL 576i 16:9
HD: 1080i
UHD: 2160p
9 July 2001
1 January 2014
知识,就是力量 '
CCTV-11SD: PAL 576i 16:9
HD: 1080i
UHD: 2160p
9 July 2001
1 September 2018
-
CCTV-12SD: PAL 576i 16:9
HD: 1080i
UHD: 2160p
12 May 2002
1 January 2014
方圆之间,自有天地 '
CCTV-13SD: PAL 576i 16:9
HD: 1080i
UHD: 2160p
1 May 2003
20 November 2019
-
CCTV-14SD: PAL 576i 16:9
HD: 1080i
UHD: 2160p
28 December 2003
1 January 2014
-
CCTV-15SD: PAL 576i 16:9
HD: 1080i
UHD: 2160p
29 March 2004
1 September 2018
-
CCTV-16SD: PAL 576i 16:9
HD: 1080i
UHD: 2160p
23 August 2000天天奥林匹克 'Co-operate by the office of IOC in Beijing, mostly air in HD and 4K UHD, SD edition only available in some local cable transmitters.
CCTV-17SD: PAL 576i 16:9
HD: 1080i
UHD: 2160p
28 December 2003
1 January 2014
乡村振兴,一起同行
CCTV-5+HD: 1080i1 January 2006-Renamed to CCTV-HD in 2008, and renamed to CCTV-5+ in August 2013.
CCTV-4K4K UHD: 2160p1 October 2018-
CCTV-8K8K UHD: 4320p24 January 2022-Trial started on 1 February 2021.
CCTV Home ShoppingHD: 1080i 16:928 December 2006
23 September 2019
-

Foreign channels

NameLanguageFormatLaunch dateSloganNote
CGTNEnglishSD: PAL 576i 16:9
HD: 1080i
20 September 1997
1 September 2016
See the differenceFormer CCTV-9 before 26 April 2010, renamed to CGTN on 31 December 2016.
CGTN EspañolSpanishSD: PAL 576i 16:9
HD: 1080i
1 October 2004
11 April 2014
Split on 1 October 2007.
CGTN FrançaisFrenchSD: PAL 576i 16:9
HD: 1080i
1 October 2004
11 April 2014
Regard de la Chine 'Split on 1 October 2007.
CGTN العربيةArabicSD: PAL 576i 16:9
HD: 1080i
25 July 2009
18 April 2014
CGTN PусскийRussianSD: PAL 576i 16:9
HD: 1080i
10 September 2009
18 April 2014
Видеть мир иначе! '
CGTN DocumentaryEnglishSD: PAL 576i 16:9
HD: 1080i
1 January 2011
7 January 2014
See the Changes

Pay channels

All channels below are using Mandarin Chinese. The previous 13 channels are owned by Central Digital Television Media Co., Ltd., their HD signals were launched on 23 September 2019, and their SD signals were shut down in 2020. The last 3 channels are owned by CND Films.
NameFormatLaunch dateNote
TV GuideHD: 1080i 16:91 November 2004De facto free for some local cable transmitters.
Storm FootballHD: 1080i 16:91 January 2004
Women's FashionHD: 1080i 16:91 January 2004
Hygiene and HealthyHD: 1080i 16:91 January 2004Was co-operate by SMG.
The First TheaterHD: 1080i 16:99 August 2004HBO programmes available in golden times.
Storm TheaterHD: 1080i 16:99 August 2004
Storm MusicHD: 1080i 16:99 August 2004
Nostalgia TheaterHD: 1080i 16:91 November 2004
Golf and TennisHD: 1080i 16:91 January 2005
Cultural FeaturesHD: 1080i 16:91 January 2005
World GeographyHD: 1080i 16:914 March 2005
BilliardsHD: 1080i 16:96 May 2012
Weapon TechnologyHD: 1080i 16:98 May 2006
Old StoriesSD: 576i 4:38 August 2005
DiscoverySD: 576i 4:31 January 2007
Middle StudentsSD: 576i 4:34 May 2009

Overseas channels

None of channels below are available for subscribers within mainland China.
NameLanguageFormatLaunch dateNote
DaifuStandard Chinese and JapaneseSD: PAL 576i 16:9
HD: 1080i
27 May 1998
1 June 2014
Japanese edition of CCTV-4, available in Sky PerfecTV!.
CCTV EntertainmentStandard ChineseSD: PAL 576i 16:91 October 2004Overseas edition of CCTV-3.
CCTV Chinese OperaStandard ChineseSD: PAL 576i 16:91 October 2004Overseas edition of CCTV-11.
CCTV-1 Hong Kong & Macau EditionStandard Chinese and CantoneseSD: PAL 576i 16:9
HD: 1080i
1 March 2011
29 May 2017
For both: Due to copyright and trademark concerns, all advertisements and some programmes of original CCTV-1 are censored, and replaced by local, mainly Cantonese-speaking, advertisements and other news programmes.
Hong Kong Edition: Was transmitted by ATV before 1 April 2015, later de facto only available for some pay channel networks, such as now TV 541, until 23 May 2017 where RTHK took over the channel spectrum as RTHK33.
Macau Edition: Transmitted by TDM, was using original CCTV-1 spectrum during 20 December 2016 through 29 May 2017.

Former channels

  • China 3D TV Test Channel - a television channel broadcasting various digital 3D television content.
  • CCTV High Definition Test - The first HDTV channel in the Great China area, as well as the world's first Chinese-speaking HDTV channel, launched on 1 October 1999, closed date 2013
  • CCTV Security information - pay channel
  • Universe Satellite Network
  • GalaxySatellite
  • plus an additional 10+ advanced integration satellite providers if possible

    International broadcasts

It is possible to receive channels CCTV-4, CGTN, CGTN Spanish and CGTN French outside China by using a Digital Video Broadcast signal. CCTV has just recently switched from analog to DVB primarily due to better signal quality and the ability to charge for reception. The overseas channels are widely available across many cable and satellite providers.