According to official figures, a little more than 86 per cent of China’s population had access to radio in 1997, rising to 96.31 per cent in 2009. For the same period, almost 87 per cent had access to television, rising to 97.23 per cent.

Now, running up to 2015, rural areas with small villages (fewer than 20 households) are to be targetted in a move to bring greater access to radio and TV services.

Central and local governments are repotred to have invested more than ¥15.7bn (US$2.38bn) in improving and extending radio and TV networks in rural areas between 2006 and 2010.

This news coincides with the forecast that China will displace France as the leading market for IPTV services. With demand in Europe subsiding, China and India are expected to make Asia a larger market than Europe by then of 2012 if not earlier.

According to the  Broadband Forum, Europe was ahead of Asia at the end of the third quarter of 2010 ªwith 46.3 per cent of the world s 41,892,171 IPTV subscribers), with France claiming just under 10m.