Copycat New Year gala to showcase grassroots talent

A private TV project touting itself as a "grassroots" alternative to State broadcaster China Central Television's (CCTV) annual Spring Festival variety show - a mainstay for families celebrating the Lunar New Year - is fast gaining popularity, organizers have said.

The program is scheduled to stream online for free for three hours, and may be broadcast live by Guizhou Television, on Jan 25 - the eve of Lunar New Year - the same time as CCTV's gala, program director Shi Mengqi told China Daily.

Response for his "China Countryside Television" (CCSTV) project has been "overwhelming" and beyond his expectations, with 700 individuals and groups applying to perform, he said.