China's state TV station will air its own version of the reality show "The Apprentice" in May, with winners given their own businesses to run, CCTV said.

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"Win in China," to be produced by the national China Central Television, will differ from the U.S. show in that the audience will replace Donald Trump in deciding who gets fired, the program's producers said. Viewers will vote by text messages.

Participants in the eight-month show will face rigorous tests of their tenacity and business acumen, the producers said.

The country's first versions of "The Apprentice" aired last year on Shanghai television. Their popularity, as well as that of the hit "Super Girl" that imitated the U.S. "American Idol," seems to have inspired the latest venture.

The top winner on the CCTV program will be given a company to run, with registered capital of at least $1.2 million. Four other winners will be given smaller start-ups to run, funded by

Asian and international venture capital firms, Shanghai Daily reported.

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