American Music, Warner Movies To Hit the Ultimate Market: China

CHINESE citizens soon will be able to tune in to American pop musicians such as Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Elvis Presley under an agreement signed between a United States company and China's state-owned radio station.

Los Angeles-based China USA Entertainment Corporation on Wednesday said it signed a five-year agreement with China National Radio to broadcast American music, beginning Jan. 1, 1995. Terms were not disclosed.

China USA Entertainment will initially broadcast four hours a week with ``The History of American Pop/Rock Music (1954-1994),'' and ``American Countryside,'' featuring country legends and current stars. The broadcasts will be beamed to about 600 million radios and will provide up to 10 minutes an hour of on-air advertising opportunities for international advertisers.

For its part, Warner Bros., the maker of such signature American films as ``Dirty Harry'' and ``Batman'' announced Monday that it has reached an agreement to distribute films in China.

Warner executives said it was the first such agreement between an American motion-picture company and China's sole agency for film importation, the China Film Distribution, Exhibition, Export & Import Corp.

Warner and China Film will jointly select the movies to be released. The films will be dubbed in Mandarin, and will start playing in China within the next three months, Warner Bros. said.