Press

8 Questions for YAO WENTAN, Executive Producer at Youku Tudou Cultural Program Center

SD: Wentan, what have you been busy with lately?
YWT: Ha, I've been busy coming up with a lot of ideas in my head. The cultural series of Watch Imagination will be launching a new program in the second half of the year. There is one on Yang Zhao and his daughter, one on Jia Zhangke, and some that cannot be disclosed at this time. In addition to Watch Imagination, a large-scale exposé program will be launched at the end of May. I've been furiously fine-tuning it lately.

SD: Is Watch Imagination a reading program? How different is it from the reading programs in the past?
YWT: No, no. Watch Imagination is cultural series video program. Of course, it includes Liang Wendao's reading program One Thousand and One Nights, but it also contains Chen Daqing's painting program, Jubu (translation: Parts), and Ma Shifang's music program Tingshuo (translation: Listen). New programs are on the way. There is a distinct difference between One Thousand and One Nights and other TV reading programs. They don't have Liang Wendao, and they are not talk shows, nor do they read in the subways or on the streets.

SD: Watch Imagination originated from the publishing brand "Imaginist". What is their relationship?
YWT: Watch Imagination is jointly produced by Youku Tudou and Imaginist. One is its dad, the other, its mum.

SD: Everyone is talking about IP. What sort of IP is Watch Imagination? Is the host, Liang Wendao, an IP?
YWT: What is IP; it's the people that’s most important! Watch Imagination is an IP that allows one to see another possibility. What it will be ultimately, no one really knows. Our program is done online. Changes on the internet happen too quickly, so now, I'm just focused on making sure that the program is done properly so that everyone will love watching and sharing it. Liang Wendao is a strong IP, haha.

SD: Watch Imagination has reached 100 million hits. Who is its audience? Do most of them watch it from their mobile phones?
YWT: That's right. Watch Imagination has been viewed more than 100 million times. Liang Wendao's reading program, One Thousand and One Nights alone was viewed 130 million times. Our audience has the "three high" disease - high income, high academic qualification, and high age group (20-35 years old). They are known as high-end users, with good taste and a penchant for watching programs on their mobile phones.

SD: In addition to Watch Imagination, what other meaningful cultural programs do Alibaba's Youku Tudou produce?
YWT: Too many to count. Some are uploaded by internet users. Everyone can go to the cultural channel to watch the programs themselves, and find what they like.

SD: Can online video help market books?
YWT: Of course. Youku Tudou officially became part of Alibaba a few days ago. After watching the program, internet users can buy the books directly at the broadcast page. It's extremely convenient. Some of the books Liang Wendao had talked about in One Thousand and One Nights very quickly made it to prominent positions in best seller lists. Online-offline book sales have both benefited.

SD:Will your own reading program, Wentan Kaiquan (translation: Wentan Reading Literature) recommence?
YWT: I'm so happy you still remember this program. Everything is possible. Wait till I read a few more books.

YAO WENTAN（姚文坛） will be speaking at the StoryDrive conference in Beijing (29-30 May 2016).

Translation: Cheang Yee