The Research On Changes And Innovation Of Chinese TV Program’s Presenting Style

A TV host, always working in the “foreground” and being the interface image of media,is the most active and vivid performer or communicator in media and plays an important rolein mass communication activities. A TV host embodies the interpersonal, empathic andhumane characteristics of mass communication, thus becoming an effective communicationmedium. The presenting style reveals the general style and features of the media or programs,as well as the personal style of the TV presenters. Besides, a particular presenting style is thusthe connecting element among audiences, programs and TV hosts. It is the direct impressionand perception point of the audiences, which becomes a key factor in the effectiveness ofcommunication. TV hosting is a form of communication art, and a presenting style can beconsidered an intensifier of the communication effect. The presenting style is the combinationof the hosts’ personal style and the programs’ style. It is in itself a standard measure ofprogram quality. To identify a presenting style, one ought to analyze external appearance,language style, overall image as well as audiences’ feedback. Changes in presenting style alsoreflect the change of time, society, media strategy, cultural and industrial development as wellas the audiences’ demand and structure.Along with the change of time and society patterns, the status, structure and demand ofaudiences keeps changing, and so should the communication context, concepts, contents aswell as the ways of communications. All these lead TV hosts to change their style to reflecttimes and media features. The influences which affect changes inTV presenting style can beanalyzed in3tiers, they are macroscopic views (times and society), medium views (media andaudiences) and small scale view (programs and TV presenters).The first TV hosts appearances in Chinese media were during1980s and since then thenumber of TV hosts has continued to increase. Before1980s, there were TV broadcasters butwith little personal style, and the way of broadcasting was straightforward. After1980s,broadcasters gradually became TV hosts leading to more and more personal styles. These havedeveloped into discernible presenting styles over the past30years of practice, and nowadayswe enjoy various ways of presenting. With TV programs classified for minoritycommunication and the professionalization of TV channels, the number of TV hosts increased, thus developing different styles for different time slots, program types and TV hosts groups;compared with broadcasters, the styles are more diversified and personalized, and suited to thedemand and taste of audiences. In light of intense media competition, a famous TV host with aspecial style has marketing value as a brand, and become the brand of media as well as havingan impact on audiences’ loyalty for TV programs.In the marketization of media, the presenting styles have problems such as Vulgarization,Homogenization and Superficiality. This paper will analyze the inscape elements of styles andthe law of formation, as well as the effects of social trends, media positioning and audiences’demand on presenting styles. It intends to find out the acceptable presenting styles which suitthe demand of society and our times, and be helpful to enhance the reputation of TV host inChina and the world.The research on presenting style combines practical experience and communicationtheories, which have a profound content. It relates to the subjects of Journalism, MassCommunication, Aesthetics, Arts, Culture Studies，Linguistics, Sociology and Psychology etc,with fewer research resources, and less need to analyze multiple samples to make conclusionsand rules.This research target focused on the change and innovation of Chinese TV program’spresenting style, especially the change after1980s when the presenting style just formed. Thisresearch uses stylistics theory in linguistics, Aesthetics and Arts, combining with the TV hostsworking experiences and development periods, to build a system of TV program’s presentingstyle. The research is going to add more new concepts and new methods, to build a better andproper TV hosting style which suits specific programs, media and times.This research is classified in7chapters and focuses on theory system of presenting style,style change periods, presenting style of different program types, presenting style of TV hostindividuals, reasons for style change, problems and critic of presenting style as well as itsinnovation for future.Chapter1is mainly on the theory system of presenting style, including the concepts,inscape elements, types and features. By analyzing the figures of speech in linguistics,aesthetic appreciation style in Aesthetics and performing style in Arts, and its application inCommunication theory, a TV program’s presenting style system is built. Chapter2is mainly on the style change periods. Based on the TV hosts in1980s, thischapter is to analyze the inheritance of early Radio and TV programs broadcasting style, thetransformation from broadcasters to TV hosts, and the formation of presenting style indifferent times. It analyzed the change periods, features and regulations of presenting style in1980s,1990s and after2000s. In style patterns, the style changed from simple to diversified;ideologically, it change from political control to depoliticization; in narrative, it changed frombroad story telling to micro story telling, in communication role, it changed fromsubordination to dominant.Chapter3is mainly on the change in presenting style of different programs. The programtype decides the type of presenting style, yet at the same time, the TV hosts has formeddifferent types in reality. According to the4types of TV hosts which are anchor, host,moderator and presenter and related program types, this chapter will analyze the presentingstyle changes in news programs, talk shows, entertainment programs and social teachingprograms. News program’s presenting style changed from “broadcasting” news to “speaking”news, and program patterns created different news presenting style, most with authority as themain presenting style. Talk show’s hosting style changed from overlooking to a fair and justattitude but with popular language and objectification, and displayed ideology thinking as itsmain style. Entertainment program’s presenting style changed from introduction serial linkingstyle to vivid performing style, which became more star-looking and diversified, with moreperforming arts in it. Social teaching program’s presenting style changed from guidance toservice, from tender plain to lively and sprightly, with more knowledge and inspiration instyle.Chapter4is mainly on TV hosts and their individual presenting styles. Presenting styleshould have characteristics feature, the personality of TV hosts is the inner condition of style.The personal basic conditions, cognition of the roles and the pursuit for the own style madedifferent presenting style. The part will analyze emotional Type, Intelligent Type, CriticismType and Performing Type through personal language, appearance, overall image andfeedback from audiences, and selected famous TV hosts Ni Ping, Yang Lan, Bai Yansong andZhou Libo as the individual case study.Chapter5is mainly on the reasons of style change periods. This part will analyze the changes of society and times, communication concepts, mechanism as well as the3aspects ofaudiences’ demand. With the gradual forming of democratic political system and citizenssociety, the mass culture and visual times followed, as well as the media commercializationand formation of consuming society, all these brought presenting style change in differenttimes. International communication concepts, the adjustment of media positioning andmanagement mechanism induced presenting style changes from simple type to diversifiedtypes. With the “Audience centered” theory set in mass communication, the structure ofaudiences changed and their demand became characteristics, which provided a space forchange and innovation of presenting style.Chapter6is mainly on the problems of recent presenting styles, analyzing through3aspects such as complex phenomenon, homogenization and superficiality. Commercialization,vulgarization and excessive entertainment of media brought lower taste to presenting style.Blindly copying, directly imitating at a lower level and lack of original creativity brought thehomogenization of presenting style. Recognition the deviation of focusing on appearance butwithout intrinsic quality and the reality of focusing on presenting skills but nothumanity-oriented communication concept brought the superficiality of presenting style.Chapter7is mainly on the innovation of presenting style in the future. This part willanalyze the principles of innovation and development, macroscopic designing and microscopicshaping of TV hosts’ presenting style in new times.In a word, this paper will analyze Chinese TV programs’ presenting style in differenttimes, different programs and different TV hosts, to find out the history of change, the reasonsof change and existing problems in presenting style, as well as the innovation methods in thenew times.