Xinwen Lianbo

Background
Xinwen Lianbo (新闻联播 in simplified Chinese) is a daily news programme produced by China Central Television, or CCTV. The news programs led by the company are shown by all local TV stations in mainland China, resulting in the company being one of the most watched programmes. The company has been broadcasting ever since January the 1st of 1978, and revolves around political topics. Some accuse the program as serving more as a means for the Chinese Communist Party to divulge its political agenda rather than to examine the day's important news events. As such, it has been criticized both within China and internationally for its lack of neutrality.

1st Intro (January 1, 1978-1984)


Visuals: The intro starts with a sky blue background. Upon the intro starting, a dimmed blue color covers most of the background, making the sky blue color be a triangular curvy shape with a tip. The tip glows as white curvy lines form and expand out of the tip, making a flower shape. After a couple of seconds, the white chinese text "新闻联播", as well as the transparent -outlined text "XINWEN LIANBO" below the chinese text, fade in front of the background and the lines.

Technique: Cel animation.

Audio: A dreamy orchestral theme.

2nd Intro (1984-1985)


Visuals: Over a background, a purple transmitter is shown. lines are shown to cover the transmitter as the lines go to the tip of the transmitter, getting smaller as the movement processes. Located at the tip of the transmitter, a rectangle blinks five times before flying and zooming closer in a stretched form, revealing the text "新闻联播". The stretched text settles at the near center, and the transparent -outlined text "XINWEN LIANBO" fades in below the chinese text.

Technique: Cel animation.

Audio: A soothing theme made up of brass instruments and chime notes.

3rd Intro (1985-1986)


Visuals: On a black background, a grid floor in white is shown containing a map of the planet Earth focusing at the Pacific Ocean. Numerous copies of the same chinese text from the last ident slide above the grid floor, each in warmer colors. The text disappears, and the chinese text in white zoom closer, containing a trail. The text turns and slides to the center as the trail disappears. Finally, the same english text from the last logo appears three to four letters at a time below the chinese text.

Technique: Cel animation.

Audio: A brass theme.

4th Intro (1986-1988)


Visuals: The intro starts with a background with white grid lines. After one second, a third of a map of the planet Earth focusing on the Pacific Ocean and in a sky blue color flips at the left side, consisting of most of Eurasia, Africa, and a third of Antarctica. Afterwards, the second third of the map flips at the center, consisting of the rest of Eurasia, Oceania, Alaska, Hawaii, and more of Antarctica. Then, the rest of the map, which consists of all of America and the Antarctic peninsula, flips at the right side. Once completed, a map of China in a white outline zooms out of eastern Eurasia and settles at the top center. The same chinese and english text from the last intro in a white color zooms out of the Alaskan-Canadian border and adjusts to the center. As the text does so, the english text turns into a color. The intro stays still for a few seconds.

Technique: Cel animation.

Audio: A trumpet theme in a dreamy tone, ending with four triangle notes.

5th Intro (1988-1990)


Visuals: The intro takes place over a starry space background, with a  floor containing  grid lines and a realistic globe of planet Earth visible. The grid floor slides back as the globe flies closer. After three seconds, a map of China flies from the back side of the globe, settles to the near center, and flips as the map does so. The map reveals the Yangtze and the Yellow River to be transparent. The globe fades out, and a white atom-like symbol containing the letter "T" at the center flies to the center, leaving off the trail. Once the symbol does so, lines appear and disappear twice all over the intro. The symbol flips when the lines appear the second time. Afterwards, the handwritten text "新闻联播" zooms closer at the same position as the map of China. After a second, the white text "XINWEN LIANBO" wipes in below the chinese text.

Technique: Cel animation and analog computer effects.

Audio: A brass fanfare.

6th Intro (1990-1995)


Visuals: On a sky blue background, a spinning globe of planet Earth flies to the center. As the movement occurs, three RGB rectangular prisms fly out of the right side and closer to the globe. Once the shapes are not visible, the text "中央电视台" fly out of the globe and zoom closer at the center. The text flips, revealing the text "CCTV". The text zooms closer, and the text "新闻联播" flies from the right side and vertically rotates. When the text is set at the top center, the text "XINWEN LIANBO" flies out of the chinese text, vertically rotates, and sets itself at the bottom center. The globe is still seen spinning.

Trivia: The concept would be similarly used for the next intro.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Same as the last intro.

7th Intro (1995-2002)


Visuals: The intro is similar to the last intro. Over a -black gradient space background, a nearly transparent spinning globe of planet Earth slowly flies to the center. As the globe flies, a shooting star flies, and three RGB rectangular prisms fly in different directions. When the globe is nearly complete, the text "中央电视台" moves the same as the last intro, including the flipping that reveals the text "CCTV" containing multiple dots. The text zooms closer towards the second "C", and the text "新闻联播" does the same movement as the last intro. Once completed, the text "XINWEN LIANBO" wipes to the right below the text.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Same as the 5th intro.

8th Intro (2002-)
Visuals: Same as the last intro, but remastered and modified. The shooting star is absent, the first chinese text now reads "中国中央电视台", the text "CCTV" is in and is in a CNN font, the globe isn't transparent and contains clouds, the stars fly all over the intro for the entirety of the run time, and the text "XINWEN LIANBO" is darker.

Variant: In 2020, the intro is remastered. The space background and the text XINWEN LIANBO is noticeably less dark, and the text doesn't contain an outline.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Same as the 5th intro.