Xing Kong

Xing Kong was established in 2002 as a Mandarin-language television service aimed primarily at mainland China. Its original owner was Star Group Ltd, the Asian subsidiary of News Corporation headquartered in Hong Kong. The service entered a competitive Mandarin-language television environment that included Star Chinese Channel and Phoenix Chinese Channel, but differentiated itself through a general-interest schedule combining entertainment, information, lifestyle, and family-oriented programming. The channel’s schedule included drama, music, news, cartoons, comedy, variety, health, food, home and living, talk, and game shows. The available reference describes the service as carrying more than 700 hours of original programming each year. This scale and breadth positioned Xing Kong as a full-service television channel rather than a specialist network. Its early profile was strengthened when it was voted Satellite Channel of the Year at the 2002 China Television Programme Awards. Xing Kong also developed an international distribution presence. Outside mainland China, the international version was available in a range of markets across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, North America, and Oceania. In the Asia-Pacific region, the channel was distributed through AsiaSat, subject to the legal conditions applying to privately owned satellite dishes in each market. The coverage area extended broadly across the region, while mainland China’s restrictions on private satellite reception limited the practical availability of satellite delivery there. The channel was additionally carried on selected local platforms, including First Media in Indonesia and Singtel TV’s IPTV service in Singapore. The Singapore carriage ended in 2021. A major ownership transition occurred in 2010, when China Media Capital took a controlling stake in Xing Kong and Xing Kong International. The change placed the services within a China Media Capital-controlled arrangement and ended the period in which Xing Kong was principally associated with Star Group’s News Corporation-era Asian television portfolio. Star China Media is identified as the channel’s subsidiary or operating owner in the available reference material. The channel later underwent a technical transition to high-definition broadcasting. Xing Kong and Channel V began HD transmission on April 11, 2024, although the first HD programme was not reported until April 21. Much of the content after the technical launch remained in the older 4:3 format, suggesting that the transmission infrastructure had been upgraded before the entire programme library or schedule had been converted. The supplied reference further reports a planned closure in May 2026. On May 6, the channel reportedly cited operational difficulties and announced that both Xing Kong feeds and Channel V would cease broadcasting on May 8. The channels were said to have gone off air at midnight on that date. Since the material supplied for this dossier does not include a separate corporate announcement or a current operational listing, the brand’s present status remains marked as unknown.

• 2026

  Broadcast shutdown announced

  [1]Xing Kongen.wikipedia.org

  The channel reportedly announces that its feeds will cease broadcasting on May 8, citing operational difficulties.

• 2024

  High-definition transmission begins

  [1]Xing Kongen.wikipedia.org

  Xing Kong and Channel V begin HD broadcasting on April 11; the first reported HD programme airs on April 21.

• 2021

  Singapore IPTV carriage ends

  [1]Xing Kongen.wikipedia.org

  The channel’s availability through Singtel TV in Singapore ends, according to the available reference material.

• 2010

  China Media Capital gains control

  [1]Xing Kongen.wikipedia.org

  China Media Capital takes a controlling stake in Xing Kong and Xing Kong International.

• 2002

  Xing Kong launches

  [1]Xing Kongen.wikipedia.org

  Star Group Ltd launches Xing Kong as a Mandarin-language channel targeting mainland Chinese audiences.

• 2002

  Satellite Channel of the Year recognition

  [1]Xing Kongen.wikipedia.org

  Xing Kong is voted Satellite Channel of the Year at the China Television Programme Awards.

A broad-based Mandarin-language entertainment and lifestyle television service for mainland Chinese and international Chinese-speaking audiences.

• Mandarin-language television channel · 2002

  Xing Kong

  The core Xing Kong service was a general-interest Mandarin-language television channel aimed at mainland Chinese audiences. Its schedule combined drama, music, news, animation, comedy, variety, lifestyle, health, food, home and living, talk, and game programming. The channel was distributed through satellite and selected television platforms and later introduced a high-definition feed.

• International television service

  Xing Kong International

  Xing Kong International extended the brand’s Mandarin-language television offering beyond mainland China. It was available in markets across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Europe, North America, and Australia through combinations of satellite, cable, and IPTV distribution, subject to local carriage arrangements and reception rules.

• 2026

  Decision to cease broadcastingStrategy

  Background

  The supplied reference attributes the planned closure to operational difficulties.

  Action taken

  The channel reportedly announced on May 6 that its feeds would stop broadcasting on May 8, together with Channel V.

  Aftermath

  The supplied reference states that the channels shut down at midnight on May 8, 2026; current status is not independently verified here.

  Source

• 2024

  Move to high-definition broadcastingGeneration change

  Background

  The channel continued to operate as a conventional television service while much of its programme material remained in the older 4:3 format.

  Action taken

  Xing Kong and Channel V began transmitting in high definition on April 11, with the first reported HD programme appearing on April 21.

  Aftermath

  The HD feed operated alongside substantial legacy 4:3 programming.

  Source

• 2010

  China Media Capital takes a controlling stakeM&A

  Background

  Xing Kong and Xing Kong International were operating within the Star Group and News Corporation-associated Asian television portfolio.

  Action taken

  China Media Capital acquired a controlling stake in both services.

  Aftermath

  Control shifted to a China Media Capital-controlled structure, with Star China Media identified as the relevant parent or operating entity.

  Source

• 2026

  Xing Kong announces planned broadcast shutdown[1]Xing Kongen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The channel reportedly announced on May 6, 2026 that its feeds, along with Channel V, would cease broadcasting on May 8 because of operational difficulties. The supplied reference says the channels shut down at midnight on the announced date.

• 2024

  Xing Kong begins high-definition broadcasting[1]Xing Kongen.wikipedia.org

  Product generation

  Xing Kong and Channel V began high-definition transmission on April 11. The first reported high-definition programme aired on April 21, while much of the schedule continued to use 4:3 content.

• 2010

  China Media Capital takes a controlling stake in Xing Kong[1]Xing Kongen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  China Media Capital acquired control of Xing Kong and Xing Kong International, shifting the channel into a China Media Capital-controlled media structure.

• 2002

  Xing Kong launches as a Mandarin-language television channel[1]Xing Kongen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  Star Group Ltd launched Xing Kong as a Mandarin-language channel targeting mainland Chinese audiences. The channel received the Satellite Channel of the Year award at the 2002 China Television Programme Awards.

1. 1Xing Kongen.wikipedia.org