CCTV calls for foreign help to fuel pay TV channel boom

摘要

CHINA CENTRAL TELEVISION will launch more than 150 digital-cable pay TV channels in the next five years but says it needs foreign expertise to fill those channels with content subscribers will pay for, says Zhang Chang-ming, CCTV's vice president of pay TV operations. "What we really need on pay TV is more cooperation with expert international programmers to help with content," Changming told CASBAA convention delegates in Hong Kong. "CCTV content alone will not be enough to satisfy our subscribers. We need foreign help on content." Meanwhile, Ma Ju, deputy director of TV regulator SARFT's technical department, hinted that more distribution opportunities for foreign cable TV providers in China are forthcoming.