SARFT prepares for IPTV
June 18, 2010
After winning control over IPTV content and broadcasting in the turf wars over network convergence, China’s State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) will step up preparations for a national cable network company according to reports.
The national-level cable company, to be launched with RMB 80 billion in capital, will be the operating body for next-generation broadcasting (NGB) in China, and will be responsible for the operations of all cable television networks throughout the country.
Under SARFT’s plans, all provincial cable companies will be taken on directly as subsidiaries, but will retain a certain degree of autonomy. The current recommendation inside SARFT is to copy television content and some premium content from cable to IPTV, allowing for users to view the same content whether watching over IPTV networks or over cable subscriptions through set-top boxes.