The media


All media currently used to advertise in the developed world is also used in China. Traditional public media still play an important role in the transmission of advertising information. Television, radio, newspapers and magazines are considered to be the four pillars of the advertising media.

Television stations

Official statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics indicate that there were 362 television stations in China in 2001. This figure does not coincide with the number as given by the State Administration of Industry and Commerce, the supervising authority of China's advertising industry, whose statistics on advertising media shows that there were 3,076 TV stations. The difference may come from the application of different standards, with the latter calculating the number of stations engaging in advertising activities, regardless of whether or not they come under one umbrella.

In the last few years , however, the television industry has undergone reshuffling and consolidation. Many independent cable and satellite TV stations in key cities have merged with local stations such as municipal level or provincial level TV stations and operate under one name . In Beijing, for example, the four cable channels have now become part of Beijing TV (BTV) channels. Reasons for these mergers included avoiding vicious competition for advertising revenue and optimising channel resources.

In 2001, television coverage reached 94.2 per cent of the population. Cable television users in 2001 amounted to 90.91 million households. The increased coverage of television and its growing role as a key source of information and after-work leisure have made it a favourite medium for advertisers. In 2001, television stations received 22.57 per cent of total advertising revenue, which was RMB17.9 billion.

Radio

According to the same official statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics, there were a total of 300 radio stations in China. Again, this is contradicted by the State Administration of Industry and Commerce's figure of 711. In 2001, advertising revenue from radio stations amounted to RMB1.83 billion, a little over 10 per cent of the TV stations' revenue. Although radio coverage has been able to reach 92.9 per cent of the population, its role as a key source of information has been eroded by other competing media. Despite this, spending on radio advertising in 2001 grew by 2.3 per cent over 2000.

Newspapers

There were 2,007 newspapers by the end of 2000, according to official statistics. The figure from the State Administration of Industry and Commerce counted 2,182 in the year 2001. Advertising sales turnover stood at RMB15.8 billion in the same year. Unlike television and radio, which have a certain level of monopoly, newspapers are facing increasingly intense competition. Since many of the newspapers are of a local nature and carry information of local interest, many are used by advertisers to target consumers at a local level. National newspapers are often used to establish brand identity and image. In the battle for advertisers, newspapers still retain significant advantages, which explains their steady growth as a key medium of advertising, an impressive 19.84 per cent in 2001 as compared with 2000.

Magazines

Although there is a large number of magazines in China, a total of 8,725 in 2000, the advertising revenue was the smallest compared with other media. In 2001, the total advertising turnover was RMB1.19 billion, about 1.49 per cent of China's total advertising revenue. Interestingly, however, statistics by the State Administration of Industry and Commerce registered a total of 3,576 magazine publishing houses engaged in advertising sales. In the period from 1995 to 2000, there was a net increase of 1,142 magazines.




Doing Business with China
Doing Business with China
ISBN: 1905050089
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 648
Authors: Lord Brittan

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