Chinese TV to cast ‘Gangnam Style’ music sensation Psy

BEIJING: China’s hugely popular Lunar New Year television galas aim to woo even more viewers this year with foreign stars including “Gangnam Style” pop sensation Psy, state media said yesterday.
Watching the China Central Television (CCTV) variety show has become a tradition for families gathering on New Year’s Eve and it is set to draw a billion viewers this year, according to local newspaper.
The show, which will air tomorrow for more than four hours on multiple channels, typically features a range of performances ranging from comedy sketches to folk songs.
The CCTV program faces growing competition from local stations.
Psy, the South Korean performer who shot to global fame with his “Gangnam Style” music video last year, will do his dance on Shanghai-based television, the newspaper said.
The paper praised producers’ efforts to create the best shows possible but also questioned the reliance on international stars, especially if they required hefty fees.
“While some netizens are excited about such famous foreign figures coming to China, others wonder why the Spring Festival galas in China today have to depend on big-name foreign stars,” it said.
The CCTV gala has previously featured foreigners such as Mark “Da Shan” Roswell, a Canadian who became well known in China for his fluent Mandarin, but it lacked the worldwide celebrity of this year’s foreign lineup.