BIKINI WEATHER GIRLS DURING EURO 2012

TV stations are resorting to all kinds of tricks and tactics to attract viewers to their coverage of Euro 2012.

Guangzhou-based Guangdong Television (GDTV) has cooked up the perfect way to get men to change the channel from their rival, China Central Television (CCTV). While CCTV features renowned pianist Li Yundi in the background, GDTV's sports channel has employed bikini clad models to report the weather in Poland and Ukraine where the football matches are being played.

This calculated (and very successful) move has sparked an Internet frenzy and photos of the weather girls have gone viral on China's popular microblogs. The models, who pop up for just a minute every night, have become one of the hottest topics on Weibo and their photos were shared over a thousand times in just a few hours.

There are 10 models appearing for the entire duration of Euro 2012, sources told What China Times. All of them are contestants from Guangzhou's Changlong Bikini Pageant. And in a clever strategy to boost ratings, the weather girls will appear at random times anywhere between 10:00pm and midnight.

But not everyone's impressed with the strategy. Some netizens have complained that one model appears "overweight" and that some of the others have voices that could summond the rain clouds. Yes, we're sure the majority of Chinese men watching the news are looking for an actual forecast. (What China Times)