SARFT to Begin Second-Round Satellite TV STB Bidding
21st Century Business Herald, 7/30/09
According to an industry source, China's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) recently held two conferences with 24 IC and set-top box (STB) manufacturers, finally deciding to continue offering 48 free channels as originally promised to 3.7 mln users in the first phase of the Cuncuntong rural direct broadcast satellite (DBS) project.
SARFT originally planned to hold the second round of satellite television reception equipment bidding, for procurement of 6 mln receivers, in early July, but was deadlocked due to intense opposition from local cable operators who have protested the publicly available free channel service.
Multiple sources confirmed that second-round bidding may begin after October, and consider the rapid implementation of DBS programming encryption a critical issue.
A senior executive at one of the 24 participating companies told journalists that in order to expand the public benefits of DBS, the second round tender will also increase the amount of procurement from the previous 6 mln receivers to "8 mln at the very least."
Editor's Note: For more information on the first round of direct broadcast satellite TV STB bidding, please see "Rumor: China to Reduce Free Direct Broadcast Satellite Channels", MD, 7/14/09 issue.
Keywords: bidding Cuncuntong DBS IC procurement programming rural SARFT set-top box television satellite TV government initiative
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