China sets switch off date

cctv.com 11-17-2004 14:43

China plans to switch all 380m households in its territory to digital TV by 2018 in a two-stage transition, initially targeting 100m urban households by 2008. The government will offer low-interest loans to cable companies to speed conversion.

Today only 280,000 Chinese households can receive digital TV, but Wang Xiaojie, director-general of digital TV at the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), sees the move is important to sustaining the pace of China's industrialisation and cultural modernisation.

Skyworth and other digital TV manufacturers, including Samsung and Sony, stand to benefit from the new policy, along with broadcasters such as News Corporation and Viacom, which formed a children's programming co-production venture with Shanghai Media Group in April.

The initial target of 100m digital households by 2008 is forecast to require an investment of at least $7bn in set-top boxes at current prices. China's regulator approved 40 digital pay-channels last year, with another 60 set for the green light in the next two weeks.

State-owned China Central Television, which has 15 channels, began operating six digital pay-TV channels last week.

Editor:Wang Ping  Source: