UK-based television creatures Teletubbies will start speaking Mandarin this month when the popular children's program airs on prime time television, officials at China's national broadcaster said on Friday.
China Central Television will broadcast the half-hour show, distributed by BBC Worldwide, three nights a week on its children-focused channel CCTV 7, said Yu Peixia, a CCTV official in charge of children's programs.
The voices of Teletubbies Tinky Winky, Dipsy, La La and Po will be dubbed into Chinese.
The show, owned by Ragdoll Productions and featuring four high-tech babies who show images of children on television screens on their bellies, will debut on February 11, the eve of the Chinese New Year, Yu told Reuters.
Other media firms such as the Walt Disney Co have gained similar ground in China -- one of the world's largest TV audiences -- with children's programs and cartoons, he said.
(China Daily February 1, 2002)
