World biggest TV audience goes digital

cctv.com 11-17-2004 14:43

China Central Television (CCTV) will kick-start the world's largest DTV market next week with the launch of the first of several national digital pay-television services.

Beijing believes digital pay-TV is crucial to the modernisation of the television industry but faces considerable challenges in upgrading networks and distributing the set-top boxes needed to decode digital broadcasts.

Sun Yusheng, president of CCTV's digital television unit China DTV Media, made it clear that state-owned CCTV was committed to rolling out digital services from September 1, but highlighted the difficulty of attracting customers who enjoy scores of 'free' advertising-funded channels on cheap cable networks.

He added that access to cut-price pirated films and illicit distribution of overseas channels by local cable operators created further obstacles.

"Free TV is like a river lying in front of pay-TV," Sun told an industry conference. "We have made it to the bank of the river but now we see on the other side a marshland of pirated DVDs and illegally landed foreign programmes."

CCTV will begin charging subscribers for access to special digital channels from next week, offering content ranging from exclusive sports programmes to films and music shows.

Editor:Wang Ping  Source: