He became anchor of "Focus Report" on China Central Television when it was the only news commentary program in China. During his time as anchor, Bai covered news stories such as the handovers of Hong Kong and Macau, the 50th Anniversary of the People's Republic of China, and the Sydney Olympics, making him one of the most recognizable figures in China. He has also established several news programs on CCTV such as "Timeline", modeled after Ted Koppel's "Nightline" on ABC News. Bai's reporting was the primary subject of a book about "Focus Report" that was written by the show's producer. "News 1 + 1", another news program Bai started, was the first live news commentary program in China.