Media should help consumers defend rights better
The annual gala of China Central Television on March 15, the International Consumer Rights Protection Day, always sparks more disputes than expected, because it seems the program should be fairer while trying to expose violations of market rules by companies and businesspeople, which demands hard work and guts.
CCTV, as the only national TV station, has one of the largest advertising revenues among the Chinese media, which is more than 10 billion yuan ($1.6 billion).
This year's program (popularly called the "3.15" gala) focused on Land Rover's problematic gearbox and the money making after-sales service of Nissan. But last year, according to China Consumers' Association, Volkswagen, Ford and General Motors were the top three brands against which consumers lodged complaints regarding quality and after-sales service. Ironically, all three companies are big advertisers on CCTV.