Zhang Haitao, vice minister of the State Administration of Radio, Film and TV (SARFT), said on Tuesday that China will launch two direct-broadcast satellites in the middle of next year to serve TV and radio customers in remote regions. They will be capable of transmitting more than 100 channels.

Speaking at a Satellite Industry Forum during the China Cable Broadcasting Network Exhibition in Beijing, he said that the domestically made SinoSat 2 satellite will serve as a primary satellite, while ChinaSat 9, built by Alcatel, will be used as a backup.

Zhang said China will also accelerate the pace of development of broadcasting satellites.

Guo Yansheng, deputy director of SARFT's Science and Technology Committee, said that the TV and radio penetration rate has reached 95 percent through cable TV and terrestrial broadcasting.

Satellite broadcasting is expected to play an important role in further penetration.

A single percentage point expansion of the penetration rate is estimated to cost between 3 and 4 billion yuan (US$360 to 480 million), making total investment needed for a saturation network huge.

Some cable TV operators are worried that satellite broadcasting will lure away their customers, but Guo said that the satellite system mainly targets rural and remote regions not served by cable systems.

China's goal is to provide TV and radio broadcasts to every village in the country.

(China Daily March 23, 2005)