CHINA SIGNS PACT WITH FOX TO SHOW 52 FILMS ON TELEVISION

An estimated 600 million Chinese television viewers will have a chance to see such classic movies as “The Sound of Music,” “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm,” “Grapes of Wrath” and “Patton” under an agreement between China and 20th Century Fox Film Corp.

Fox said Tuesday that the Central China Television Network has agreed to broadcast 52 Fox films.

A variety of American movies, ranging from “Mickey Mouse” to “Love Story,” have played in Chinese theaters, but Fox said this will be the first time American films will be regularly broadcast on Chinese national television to its audience of about 600 million.

As part of the deal, Fox will retain six minutes of advertising time during each broadcast.

Last month, Paramount Pictures Corp. and MCA Inc. announced plans to sell advertising time to Western companies during their movies shown in Chinese theaters.

William Saunders, senior vice president of Fox’s international syndication division, said each of the 52 movies was selected from the Fox library by a selection committee from the Chinese TV network.

The movies will air each Sunday afternoon, beginning with “The Sound of Music” Oct. 25.