Abstract:

Compared to the countries with developed cultural industries, China's exportation of TV dramas has been in a trade deficit state, with relatively weak overseas influence. Both the quantity and quality of exported TV dramas should be improved. A lot of reasons attributed to trade deficit of TV dramas, among which, the cultural distance was one of the most important factors. By utilizing the trade gravity model and analyzing the export data of Chinese TV dramas in recent years, which aim to find out the different impact of cultural distance on different trading partners, the study showed that Chinese TV dramas were mainly exported to the Chinese cultural sphere, the narrow range of export types attributed to the "cultural discount." In order to expand the exportation of Chinese TV dramas, it is necessary to accelerate the development of the cultural industry, deepen the supply-side reform of TV drama products, implement targeted strategies for different countries, tap the export potential of TV drama products, reduce cultural distance, and enhance cultural attractiveness.

Key words: TV drama exports, cultural distance, cultural discounts