At a time when crossborder travel is strictly limited, China Hour, a program on Sky TV, has hit record high viewings in Britain, offering a window on the country and its culture amid the COVID-19 lockdown.

Jointly run by China International TV & Film Corporation (CITVC) and Dove Media Ltd UK, the program has grown rapidly since the end of March when Britain began its lockdown. Its March viewership saw a dramatic increase of nearly 70 percent compared to that of February. Figures in April again went far beyond average, 2.5 times higher than the previous month.

Thanks to its enhanced efforts for promotion and adapted content, China Hour embraced the opportunity when its British audience were staying home. In particular, documentaries about the Wuhan lockdown provided a distinctive window for audiences in Britain to learn about life in the city, once the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in China, said Sui Songyan, CEO of Dove Media.

"It is true that the lockdown has contributed to longer TV watching times among the public, however the increase has also been attributed to the program contents and schedules," he added.

He explained that China Hour's performance has remained consistent in 2020. While some classic programs stay popular, new shows along with new themed schedules have all been well received, including the Chinese New Year series and some other cultural and travel programs.

Thanks to team efforts in scheduling, promotion, translation and dubbing, the Chinese New Year special shows aired in January and February achieved satisfactory figures, reflecting the audience's keen interest in Chinese folk culture.

Among the most popular programs during the lockdown period have been historical and cultural shows, including History of Great Wall, as well as new programs such as Chef Jamie's Adventure and All about Embroidery.

In addition, Xiaoji and the Dog, an animation series dubbed by Dove Media for the British market, has also attracted a strong following among young audiences.