Purse Strings

To spend or not to spend? China's leading TV channels grapple with the dilemma as the planning for Spring Festival galas draws close. Han Bingbin reports.

China Central Television has yet to announce the details of next year's Spring Festival gala, which is among the country's most anticipated annual events. The channel was expected to name a director for its cultural extravaganza in August, but that has been deferred without an explanation, leading some fans to believe that the gala could be scrapped.

Although CCTV has said that it will try to make "a better show" this year, to be broadcast in early 2015, there's a feeling in the TV viewing community that the channel, known for its financial muscle, might be struggling with planning the event on a modest budget, and hence the scheduling delay.