CCTV anchor blasted for wearing Apple Watch on air

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CCTV anchor blasted for wearing Apple Watch on air

Staff Reporter
2015-05-09

CCTV anchor Wang Yinqin wearing an Apple Watch. (Internet photo)

A news presenter on China's national broadcaster CCTV has sparked controversy after appearing on air wearing the latest Apple Watch, reports the Chinese-language Chongqing Times.

Netizens around the country are furiously debating whether Wang Yinqi, a young newsreader in her 20s, should have been wearing an Apple Watch during a segment that aired around 4am on Tuesday.

The model of the Apple Watch Wang was wearing retails for 4,188 yuan (US$675) in China. The highly anticipated product was only released across the mainland on April 24.

Some netizens accused Wang of showing off her wealth, while others slammed her for giving Apple free advertising. Wang's supporters claim that wearing a watch that costs only a few thousand yuan is not considered showing off. However, almost all conceded that the watch did not match Wang's outfit for the show and stood out because of it.

Wang's page on Sina Weibo, China's version of Twitter, shows that that she is into sport and travel and that she usually wears casual sports outfits when not working.

The image Chinese viewers have of CCTV anchors is traditionally solemn. According to Chongqing TV anchor Yang Quan, however, the clothing guidelines for newsreaders is not as strict as most believe, with the main rule being not to wear something that would distract viewers from the news they are reporting.

The Apple Watch only sparked such a furore because it is such an attention-grabbing product in China at the moment, Yuan said.

CCTV loosened restrictions on hosts and news presenters back in 2010, meaning that hosts are no longer banned from dying their hair or wearing accessories. In principle, therefore, wearing a watch does not violate any station rules.

TV presenters are allowed to choose their own outfits and do not necessarily have to wear suits. They are permitted to wear fashionable ensembles and clothes that match the topic of their report.

Many viewers believe that female anchors are required to have short hair, but they are only requested to look clean and tidy. Many anchors choose to cut their hair short for ease of management and to look more professional.

In terms of makeup, CCTV guidelines are slightly stricter, with female presents prohibited from wearing colorful eye shadow. Another requirement is that they wear "light" makeup only, though insiders say this descriptin is only relative to the rest of the television industry.