Keynote Speech at China Radio, Film & Television Scientific and Technological Development Conference

By Zhang Haitao

March 22, 2010

Distinguished guests and comrades,

At the time when this year¡¯s China Content Broadcasting Network (CCBN) is to unveil its curtain, on behalf of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television and Mr. Wang Taihua, I would like to take this opportunity to extend my congratulations on the opening of CCBN 2010, together with warm welcome to exhibitors home and abroad, fellow colleagues and friends from all walks of life. Please let me express our sincere gratitude for your years¡¯ contribution to prosperous development of China¡¯s radio, film and television industry. It is because of your active participation and vigorous support that CCBN can make it here today, and that China¡¯s radio, film and television industry can achieve such great progress. This year marks the 17th anniversary of the launch of CCBN, who has hit a record high in both exhibition area and number of exhibitors. With the rapid development of China¡¯s radio, film and television industry, CCBN has grown into an influential exhibition event in the field, an important brand and platform where colleagues in the industry share new technology and experience, display new fruits and strengthen cooperation. We hope through CCBN, more domestic enterprises will enter the global market and more international companies come to China, which will roster wiser schedule of the industry development, and achieve open cooperation, integration and a win-win situation, jointly promoting a steady and rapid development of the industry. .

Since the founding of the country sixty years ago, under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee, the State Council as well as the CPC Publicity Department and with concerted effort of nation-wide radio, film and television departments, China has made shining achievements, boasting now a radio, film and television network covering the largest population in the world, with various technologies including cable, radio and satellite. In the radio, film and television industry, we have blazed a development path with Chinese characteristics, setting up a system combining central and local and boasting of large scale, complete genres and various technologies.   This industry has developed into the most convenient and widespread tool in terms of publicity, information and entertainment in China. These services have become the main channel to gain news and information, enjoy cultural entertainment, and an essential part of daily life. As the country is taking rapid progress in economy, society, culture and information technology, China¡¯s radio, film and television industry is now standing on a new historical starting point, while new situation, tasks and missions await us.

Firstly, in the new period and stage, when the central government has assigned new order of scientific development and transformation of development pattern, our industry is also shouldering new tasks and missions.

Since the sixteenth party congress, the central party committee has raised important strategic thoughts including scientific outlook on development, building a harmonious society and making China an innovative nation. The seventeenth party congress has asked us to thoroughly apply the scientific outlook on development, promote culture innovation in content and form, structure and mechanism, and means of dissemination from the high starting point of our times and release and develop its productive forces, bring about a new upsurge in socialist cultural development, and promote vigorous development and prosperity of socialist culture with more initiative and accountability. To deal with the global financial crisis, Chinese government has in recent years adopted the policies and measures of sustaining economic growth, ensuring people's well-being and maintaining stability, which have achieved remarkable results. Earlier this year, President Hu Jintao delivered an important speech on accelerating transformation of the mode of economic development, especially for development of China¡¯s economical society in time of the post global financial crisis. He pointed out that accelerating transformation of the mode of economic development is the inevitable demand for China to adjust to the important restructuring of global demand, obtaining the global competition top spot, pursuing new advantage and raising the capacity of sustainable development. It is also the essential demand to achieve reasonable distribution of national income, promote social harmony and stability, and satisfy people¡¯s anticipation of a better life. He added that we need to promote the transition of the driving force of economic growth in China, from mainly on material resource consumption to science and technology progress, improvement in the quality of work force, and management innovation and transition. He also listed eight key tasks to be accelerated, among which was to accelerate economic and industrial restructuring, independent innovation and culture industry development. Radio, film and television is the most energetic and potential component of China¡¯s culture industry. To accelerate its development will be very influential as the country is transforming the economic development and promoting consumer consumption construction upgrading. We will follow the guidelines of the central party committee, accelerate the transforming pattern of development, adjust and improve the structure layout, innovate system mechanism, program contents and service genres, promote the industry development and value strengthening, and  make new contributions to China¡¯s economic growth and culture development.

Secondly, mental culture and information demand of people has been more and more diversified and varied as the economy rapidly develops. Radio, film and television must satisfy new demands and anticipations from all walks of life.

Rapid development in China recently, with an annual GDP growth of over 8%, has been accompanied by vigorous income growth, while the Engel's Coefficient of the rural and urban families has been consistently going down. When people live a better material life, they will have more urgent pursuit in mental culture and information, which will show the following features: first, culture entertainment and information consumption enters a period of rapid growth, with multi-layer, multi-aspects and various genres; second, independence of the mental cultural activities is consistently growing, and people can also have more choices due to improvement of variety and diversity; third, as the self-awareness and right consciousness is growing, people will be more eager to protect their rights of information, participation, expression and supervision. At present, there are in China over 500 million televisions, more than 500 million radios, and over 380 million net citizens while numbers of subscribers in mobile, fixed phone, internet broadband access has exceeded 740 million, 300 million, and 100 million respectively, New channel of information communication and culture entertainment activities have been appearing one by one. There is huge demand of radio and television programs, as well as information in other ways. As mainstream media, radio, film and television industry enjoys huge resource of program content and information internet, thus we are responsible and able to not only satisfy the basic culture demand, and also make full use of high technology, restructure the present resources, develop new program genres, expand new service sectors and perfect the products. We need to meet the new anticipation of terminal users, such as of computer, mobile and onboard services, as well as new demands of television and radio users. We will strive to keep pace with the times and the world top level, and stand together with our people, to promote rapid consistent development of the industry and achieve the target of serving people with the public media.

Thirdly, as the new round of world reform in science and technology is under way, and the information technologies covering digital and internet area is taking progress by leaps and bounds, radio, film and television is facing new challenges and opportunities in the integration of three networks.  

In a period of great development, reform and adjustment, significant changes have taken place in the global economic growth pattern due to the ongoing financial crisis, as a new round of science and technology reform is under way with features including green, intelligence and sustainable development. Information technology in areas including digital and internet have been progressing by leaps and bounds, breaking the technique barrier from inside the traditional media and with other industries such as telecommunications. Deeper combination and more fierce competition is formed among the media departments; three networks have shown more obvious trend to combination of broadcasting, telecommunications and internet, and internet and mobile has rising to become influential media. In the global market, analog TV services have gradually moved out in the US and European markets. Digitalized network of radio and TV provide comprehensive services such as internet access and voice service, as well as audio and video programs. This has greatly promoted the integration of networks, accelerated the application of internet broadband service. The internet broadband service of CNN has occupied over half of market. Meanwhile, telecommunications operators have adopted the competitive bundling strategy, providing internet access and video services including IP television as well as traditional phone service, in order to raise the ARPU value of the subscribers. In China, there was a guideline in clear terms of promoting the integration of networks of telecommunications, television and computer in Suggestions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China about Formulating National Economy and Social Development to Working out the Tenth Five-Year-Plan as early as in 2000. After more than ten years¡¯ reform, a basic structure of market competition has taken shape in China¡¯s telecommunications industry; its strategic transition has been roughly completed, which saw the traditional basic internet operators replaced by modern comprehensive service operators. The telecommunications industry has shown obvious advantages in terms of system mechanism, capital market, internet support and subscriber scales. It has been integrated with the internet services and started to take a try in the basic areas of broadcasting and TV areas such as IP television. There were over 2 million IP television subscribers in the pilot cities approved by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television. China¡¯s cable TV network has 174 million subscribes, mainly thanks to the independent efforts and accumulation of the radio and television departments all around China. But since there is lack of government funding, added with the graded management and decentralized operation, the unified competitive entities have not yet been formed, nor the structure of intensified, scale and industrialized development. Due to the mission of publicity and commonweal services, it is very difficult for China¡¯s cable network industry to achieve digitalization independently. Thanks to the strong support of subscribers, as well as from governments of different levels and all walks of life, we have developed rapidly in this field with strenuous efforts. However, the analog TV still occupied almost two thirds of the market, leaving an arduous task of digitalization and two-way transition. Because of political factors and other reasons, there were limited broadband access subscribers of cable network; the number was only more than three million by the end of last year, out of 100 million nationwide. The voice services such as IP phone is still to be provided through cable network. Integration of the three networks has brought both historical opportunities and severe challenges. Planning outline to promote this integration was approved by State Council executive meeting on January 13th, which marks the start of substantial promotion stage. In this year¡¯s government work report, Premier Wen Jiabao has proposed explicitly the request of making substantive progress in integrating telecommunications networks, cable television networks, and the Internet. The integration will break the traditional structure of graded separation and decentralized management in the industry, bringing reformative influence to the broadcasting tenet, method, form and mechanism. We need to quickly achieve the strategic transition, from the simple program contents to the comprehensive services, from the separate management to scale, unified and intensified production, to meet the development requirements of integration. We are facing unprecedented new opportunities and challenges.

This is the last year of the Eleventh Five-Year Plan period, also a deciding year of next five-year plan. The Twelfth Five-Year Plan period is crucial for thoroughly implementing the Scientific Outlook on Development, transformation of the pattern of economic development and building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. It is a conserve period of deepening reform, expanding opening up and building harmonious socialist society, as well as an important era of great development and glory in the radio, film and television industry. In the Twelfth Five-Year Plan period, we will follow the overall guideline of scientific outlook on development, promote the transition of development pattern, raise the broadcasting capacity, promote the integration of networks, and ensure good and rapid industry development. We will improve the guiding function in the modern media and culture industries, to make more contributions in the process of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. There are three important tasks at present and in the following years:

I. Special efforts should be made to speed up development pattern transformation, improve quality and enrich contents to promote the transformation from the past analog, scattered, single service to digital, intensive and comprehensive service in radio, film and television industry.

Radio, film and television broadcasting is a high-tech, heavy-equipped industry which involves a variety of links such as editing, production, broadcasting, transmission, emission as well as  various transmission means including cable, wireless transmission and satellite. At present, the rapid development of such information technology as digital and network technology has resulted in profound changes to the technical foundation of radio, film and television industry, among which, in particular, is the shift from analog to digital transmission, from one-way to two-way interactive transmission mode, from single to different receiving terminals, from closed but separate to open but integrated business form. It is imperative to accelerate the transformation of development pattern in radio, film and television industry.

(1) Push ahead great-leap-forward development with more reliance on scientific and technological progress and independent innovation.

Scientific and technological progress is the eternal driving force for the development of radio, film and television industry. With the rapid development of digital technology and network technology, shifts to digital broadcasting, webcasts, and multimedia broadcasting, to digital TV, high-definition TV, super-high-definition TV, Internet TV, mobile TV, the next generation of TV , to digital cinema and three-dimensional film, as well as to digital, two-way, intelligent, multi-function, full-service radio, film and television networks have taken place, which actively provides strong support platform for the Internet of things. Radio, film and television departments at all levels should accurately grasp the development trend of radio, film and television industry, always put the leading, driving, supporting and safeguarding role of scientific and technological progress into full play, make efforts to transform radio, film and television broadcasting production processes to improve production efficiency and core competitiveness, and taking digital and network technology as leading force and relying on independent innovation, expedite the industrialization process of such technologies as mobile multimedia broadcasting TV, terrestrial digital TV, digital cinema with independent intellectual property rights in China in order to open up new space for the development of radio, film and television broadcasting. Good services of contents shall be provided to terminal users including not only of TV sets, radios, but also of mobile phones, computers, MP4 and others with continuously improved digital communication capability, to realize multi-terminal full services of radio, film and television broadcasting that could meet new demands of different audiences for digital eco-media contents.

(2) Pay more attention to structural adjustment and improving the quality, step up the shift from outward expansion to better content of radio, film and television broadcasting.  

After 60 years of painstaking efforts of generations of radio, film and television people, China¡¯s radio, film and television industry has witnessed large-scale development. Firstly, in terms of broadcasting agencies, programs and content production, there have been totally 2,654 agencies by the end of last year (251 radio stations, 272 TV stations, 44 educational TV stations, 2,087 radio and TV stations), making 3,985 sets of open-circuit programs (2,675 sets of radio programs and 1,310 sets of TV programs), as well as 178 sets of pay programs (139 sets of pay-TV programs, 39 sets of pay-radio programs). More than 450 feature films, 13,000 sets of television dramas, and 170,000 minutes of animations were produced last year. Secondly, in terms of  the scale of transmission coverage and users, there have been over 30,000 nationwide radio and television transmitters and relay stations, 30 satellite uplink stations, 400 million km of cable television networks, and radio and television comprehensive population coverage rate has reached 96.31% and 97.23% respectively by the end of last year, making the national TV subscribers about 410 million, cable television subscribers about 174 million in China, both of which account for 1/3 of the total of the world. Despite that China tops in the world with regards to sets of programs, production quantity, air time, users of radios and films, such problems as scattered layout, large but complete, small but complete, lack of intensive large-scale operation body; identical programs, homogeneous competition, low image quality, and single service mode hinder the satisfaction of various demands of terminal users on program content. Thus, it is of great urgency to change the development and service mode of radio, film and television industry, which a total revenue of RMB 160 billion in radio, film and television industry last year has already laid a solid economic foundation for. With much emphasis on structural adjustment, quality improving, brand building, business innovation, industrial development, energy conservation and environmental protection, rational distribution of resources, radio, film and television departments at all levels should make efforts to improve content, perfect institutional mechanism, expedite the transformation from analog one-way transmission to digital two-way interactive transmission, decentralized small-scale management to intensive, large-scale management in terms of business model, and from simple single services to diverse but comprehensive services, cultivate a group of dynamic, competitive backbone enterprises, build cultural brands with independent intellectual property rights and market impact, and constantly raise the level of radio, film and television services, and overall strength.

(3) Focus on team-building and improvement in the quality of work force; give full play to the important role of such production elements as intelligence, technology and management in the transformation of radio, film and television development pattern.

Workers are the most active element of production capability, whose quality determines the development quality and level. Besides technical innovation and cultural creative, radio, film and television broadcasting, as a knowledge-and intelligence-intensive industry, requires high-quality work force for a complete range of professional positions, covering public information, literary and artistic creation, engineering and business management. Radio, film and television departments at all levels must firmly establish the concept of talents as the primary resource, strengthen leadership with guidance to different types, and enhance team building and attitude instruction in accordance with political reliance, competence for work, and tough work style. We shall create a sound atmosphere of respect for labor, knowledge, talents, and creation, implement the strategy of invigorating industry through human resources, with the cause to attract talents, the mechanism to encourage talents, and practice to train talents. Besides, efforts shall be made to strengthen the political and ideological learning and professional and technical training to cultivate a group of inter-disciplinary talents who are tech-savvy and well versed in publication, business and management, as well as a large number of key business personnel and professional leaders, in order to fully upgrade the overall quality of cadres. A scientific and standardized management system and incentive mechanism should be established to fully mobilize and give play to the enthusiasm, initiative and creativity of cadres and workers, to attract a wide range of social personnel of insight and professional talents, and let the vitality of all production elements including labor, knowledge, technology and management burst to jointly push forward the transformation of radio, film and television development pattern.

II. Great efforts shall be made to accelerate the establishment of a modern communication system with holistic view and extensive coverage so as to constantly enhance the communication power and influence of radio, film and television.

For the first time in history, the 17th National Congress of the CPC included the establishment of swift and convenient culture communication system of wide coverage into the plank document of the party. At third Plenary Session of the 17th CPC Central Committee, President Hu Jingtao made it clear that he who possesses advanced communication methods and strong communication power shall spread its culture, ideas and value more widely and have more power to influence the rest of the world. Communication power determines influence. Last year, the General Office of Central Committee of the CPC and the General Office of the State Council jointly printed and distributed the Notice on the Overall Planning for the Construction of International Communication Power by Key Media from 2009 to 2020. In the notice, it is stipulated that by 2020, China should set up a few world influential media groups in the field of newspapers, journals, news agencies, radio and TV stations, internet and etc so as to form an international media communication power compatible with China¡¯s economic and social development level and its global prestige. After years of construction efforts, China has established a massive radio, film and television network featuring adoption of various measures and multi-level coverage. How to safely and stably realize the holistic digitalization from the broadcasting front end to end users in a shorter time and with a lower cost and how to establish a modern communication system featuring swift and convenient broadcasting, extensive coverage, safety and reliability shall be the priority task for the radio and TV system in the 12th five-year period.

(1)The initiative of radio & TV stations and broadcasting networks should be brought into full play. Radio & TV stations and the broadcasting networks should interact with each other in establishing modern communication system.

Radio & TV are effective combinations of content and carrier. Radio & TV stations are responsible for program editing, making and broadcasting. The broadcasting networks are responsible for the transmission, coverage and customer service of program and serve as the bridge and bond between radio & TV programs and the numerous households. Both being indispensible, radio & TV stations and broadcasting networks together form the radio & TV communication system.

Full play should be given to the leading role of radio & TV stations in the process of establishing modern communication system. In line with relevant requirements stated in the white paper issued by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, efforts should be made to expedite digitalized and network application within various radio & TV stations and establish an inter-connecting and resources-sharing content management system tailored for multiple broadcasting platforms and multi end users. The quality of programs should be improved. The modality of programs should be innovated. The content of programs should be enriched. Hence the core competitiveness of radio & TV stations can be steadily enhanced. By the end of last year, China has already launched 13 HDTV programs. Emphasis on the development of HDTV should be continued so as to realize the synchronization of SDTV and HDTV. Efforts in the construction of HDTV program making and broadcasting networks should be strengthened. The work flow for HDTV program making and broadcasting should be made and improved. A reserve of HDTV programs should be build up. Personnel training in the field of HDTV program making and broadcasting should be expedited. The broadcasting time for HDTV program and the number of broadcasted HDTV programs should be increased so as to promote the popularity of HDTV programs and facilitate its development.

Full play should be given to the fundamental role of broadcasting networks in the establishment of modern communication system. Broadcasting networks are the culture and publicity networks which ensure the spread of voices of the party and the state into various households. They are important supporting and back-up networks for safeguarding national culture and information security. Active efforts shall be made in utilizing new technologies, innovate new business and provide new services so as to meet emerging demand. Advantages of broadcasting networks in terms of one-way communication, broadband access and users¡¯ resources should be maximized. In the meanwhile, efforts in dual-way restructuring and new business modality development should be speeded up so as to foster integration and innovation. Interaction between radio & TV stations and broadcasting networks should be strengthened so as to realize cross-networks, cross-screen, cross-platform, cross-region and cross-industry resources sharing and interconnection. Hence we can provide governments, the industry, communities and families with full-scale radio & TV and information services and to meet the emerging demand for radio & TV by people of all walks of life. All in all, we should avail us of the opportunity of digitalization, dual-way restructuring and HDTV so that the radio & TV system in China can usher in a new stage of development.

(2)In view of the basic national conditions in China, we should establish modern communication system by making coordinated arrangement for the development of cable, radio, satellite and internet technologies.

Being a populous country with vast territory and varied landscape, China is characterized by imbalanced economic development and income distribution. There exists a great gap between the Eastern, Central and Western parts and between the rural and urban areas in terms of radio and TV infrastructure. China has a total of 412 million households of which around 400 million possess TVs. These households are located in urban, rural areas and remote villages. For this reason, coordinated arrangement should be made for the development of cable, radio, satellite and internet technologies in order to realize mixed coverage. After years of hard work, China has formed its extensive radio & TV communication system. Especially in recent years, with the implementation of the full access of radio and TV services in every village, the Tibet-Xinjiang project, wireless coverage, cable TV digitalization, mobile multimedia radio & TV and terrestrial digital TV, tremendous changes have taken place in China¡¯s radio and TV coverage.

First of all, the full access of radio and TV services in every village project. Up to now, we have extended radio & TV coverage to 117,000 admin villages and 100,000 natural villages composed of over 50 households and solved the problem of difficult radio & TV access for nearly 100 million people. By the end of 2010, we shall finish the task of extending radio & TV coverage to 716,600 villages composed of over 20 households. By adopting direct-broadcasting satellite technology, we shall solve the problem of difficult radio & TV access for 12.30 million households of nearly 50 million people. Thanks to the adoption of encrypted direct-broadcasting satellite technology, we can attain the goal of intensive management and service for every household and every set top box which paves the way for the next phase of the full access of radio and TV services.

Secondly, the implementation of the Tibet-Xinjiang Project. After a decade of construction, the Tibet-Xinjiang Project has fundamentally transformed the weak radio & TV coverage in Tibet, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and Ningxia where ethnic minorities inhabit. In the next phase, we shall make continuous efforts in strengthening radio & TV coverage and translating programs into various minority languages so as to ensure that minority nationals can not only access radio & TV programs but also understand them.

Thirdly, the implementation of wireless coverage project. With the renovation and maintenance of 6,626 transmitters, the population coverage ratio of China National Radio 1, CCTV-1 and CCTV¨C7 has been improved from 61%, 38% and 0% in 2005 to 85%, 85% and 69% currently with population covered exceeding 1.1 billion, 1.1 billion and 900 million respectively. With the establishment of preliminary wireless coverage system for national radio and TV stations, the problem of declining wireless coverage has been stemmed. Nowadays, it is ensured that people can access free radio and TV public service upon turning on their radios and TV sets. In the next phase, on the basis of ensuring the quality of wireless coverage, active efforts shall be made in utilizing new technologies in ensuring that the 200 million households within the area of wireless coverage can receive more top-quality programs and the gap between rural and urban areas in terms of radio & TV service shall be gradually eliminated.

Fourthly, the implementation of cable TV digitalization project. So far, over 160 cities and 460 counties in China has finished the digitalization transformation for cable TV. Guangxi, Hainan, Ningxia, Jiangsu and some other provinces have finished this task across the whole province. Currently, cable TV users in China totals 174 million and the digitalized cable TV users stand at 65 million, accounting for over 1/3 of the total users. From these statistics, we can see that cable TV digitalization has maintained a momentum of rapid development. In the next phase, efforts shall be made in combing digitalized transformation, dual-way restructuring with the development of new business modality so as to make cable TV networks an important platform for the three networks convergence and the development of modern service industry.

Fifthly, the construction of China Mobile Multimedia Broadcasting (CMMB). CMMB represents our independent technology and standard for mobile multimedia broadcasting and has formed its complete industrial chain. Up to now, more than 300 cities in China have opened CMMB signals and 30 provinces have finished the task of establishing business operation supporting system and operating contracting. In collaboration with China Mobile, integration between independently-developed TD and CMMB technologies has been pressed ahead, which blazes a new trail in the field of wireless communication and broadcasting with our own intellectual property rights. This practice serves as a good trial for the three networks convergence and is of great importance to promoting technology innovation, boosting domestic consumption, facilitating the development of culture and information industries, meeting people¡¯s diversified culture demand and fostering new growing points for economic development. Currently we are speeding up efforts in optimizing network coverage, innovating business modalities and improving the service system. Efforts shall be made to promote the popularity of various CMMB terminals for mobile phones, handset TVs, laptops and cars so as to satisfy people¡¯s demand for listening to radio, watching TV and searching for information whenever and wherever they want.

Sixthly, the terrestrial digital TV project. Up to now, over 100 cities in China have gained access to terrestrial digital TV. By the end of 2010, all cities at prefecture level shall gain access to terrestrial digital TV. For the sake of public services, terrestrial digital TV in China adopts the principle of analog and digital synchronization and SD and HD synchronization so as to avoid the occurrence of failed access by current analog terrestrial digital TV users due to technological upgrading.

As an emerging media, the internet is of great vital and cohesive power. Featuring many-to-many coverage and self transmission, internet changes the traditional communication model of radio &TV featuring one-to-may coverage and satisfies people¡¯s personal demand for information in the era of information.

In recent years, the radio & TV system attached great importance to the development of new media such as the internet. Active efforts have been made in utilizing the internet to enhance the communication power and influence of radio, film and television. Great efforts have been made to press ahead with the development of network and mobile phone radio & TV. The websites of CCTV, China National Radio and China Radio International witness a rapid increase in click volume. In addition, China has launched China Network TV and witnessed great development in the field of mobile phone TV.

In a nutshell, China has established a modern radio & TV communication system tailored for the need of urban, rural and mountainous regions, suitable for different terminals such as TV sets, radio sets, mobile phones and cars and adopting multiple technologies such as cable, radio, satellite and internet. In view of the basic national conditions in China, in line with development laws of various modes of broadcasting, we should make coordinated arrangement and explicitly define different roles for the sake of orderly competition and win-win development. While obtaining the goal of providing public services, emphasis should be placed on the development of high-speed, high definition, interactive, convenient and mobile new business modalities and new services so as to satisfy people¡¯s diversified and multi-level culture demand.

(3) Efforts in technology monitoring and surveillance should be enhanced so as to establish a safe, reliable, manageable and controllable modern communication system.

Currently, the radio, film and TV industry in China is in a crucial development stage featuring the coexistence of analog and digital synchronization and the coexistence of traditional and emerging media. From program making, editing, broadcasting to transmission, coverage and reception, radio, film and TV industry forms a massive and complicated system of its own. For the sake of effective and smooth operation of this system, competent technology monitoring and surveillance is indispensible. In recent years, to fend off and tackle potential destructions made by hostile forces and major technology breakdowns, emergencies, natural disasters, radio & TV system across China has established a responsive, standard and flexible dispatch and command system for broadcasting security. In addition, China has also established nation-wide wireless, cable and satellite radio & TV surveillance system and a surveillance system for watching and listening to relevant programs, foreign satellite programs and internet audio & video programs. It can be said that security safeguard and monitoring and surveillance level in the radio, film and TV sector has been remarkably improved.

Currently, we can actively integrating and optimizing existing monitoring and surveillance resources so as to establish a unified technology surveillance platform which combines the role of technology monitoring, program censoring and broadcasting security dispatch into one. By so doing, full-dimensional monitoring and surveillance can be realized for different modalities of radio & TV services. Efforts in technology innovations should be strengthened. New technologies should be actively adopted so as to make monitoring and surveillance more intelligent and automatic and to provide strong support and back-up for safe broadcasting, improved transmission and coverage quality and strengthened monitoring and surveillance. Means of technology monitoring and surveillance should be further improved. Terrestrial digital radio & TV, mobile multimedia radio & TV, direct broadcasting satellite radio & TV, IPTV, mobile phone TV, internet audio & video broadcasting should be included into the scope of surveillance and managed for the sake of broadcasting security. Research on relevant monitoring and surveillance technology for emerging media should be accelerated and active efforts should be made in exploring technology surveillance system for new audio & video media in line with China¡¯s realities. In the meanwhile, in light of the need to tackle public emergencies, we should make good use of existing radio & TV resources to establish multi-level state emergence radio & TV operation mechanism featuring cross-region and cross-department interaction. All in all, being safe, reliable, manageable and controllable is the cornerstone for modern communication system. Enhanced technology monitoring and surveillance is an integral part of modern communication system.

III. Strive to promote the integration of the three networks, strengthen technological innovation, system innovation as well as service innovation, and promote the transition of cable TV network from a small-scale network to a large-scale network, from analogue to digitalization, from one-way to dual-way, from SD to HD, as well as from a government organization to an enterprise, and the change of TV audience from watching TV to making use of TV.

As a major strategic decision made by the CPC Central Committee and State Council in accordance with the momentum of international scientific and technological development along with China¡¯s economic and social informationization requirement, the integration of the three networks is an inevitable development trend of information technology featured by digital, network technologies, and an inevitable choice to meet the multi-aspect, ever-changing and diverse pursuit for spiritual culture and informational demand. According to the Overall Program of Promoting Integration of the Three Networks issued by the State Council, there are mainly four tasks to accomplish for the promotion. The first task is to promote the dual-way accession by radio and TV broadcasting industry and telecommunications industry, nail down the business scope of dual-way accession, organizing to develop pilot programs, and further reinforcing the market supervision. The second task is to strengthen the network construction, transformation and coordination planning, to accelerate the construction and integration of digital cable TV network, to promote the construction of broadband telecommunications networks, and to strengthen the overall planning and sharing of all networks. The third task is to enhance supervision on the information security and cultural security of the Internet by implementing respective management responsibilities and strengthening the construction of technical monitoring systems. The fourth task is to effectively boost the industry development, to vigorously develop new industries, to strengthen the product development and manufacturing of information technology, and to accelerate the establishment of national criteria system adapted to the integration of the three networks. Integration of the three networks will be carried out in two phases; the period from this year to 2012 will be the pilot phase, and that from 2013 to 2015 will be the promotion phase. At present, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television is working with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology to develop pilot programs, conducting pilot work in areas where conditions permit. Integration of the three networks is not merely the mutual opening between radio and TV broadcasting industry and telecommunications industry, more importantly, but also the service innovation which will allow users to truly feel the new audio-visual enjoyment and convenient integrated services brought by the integration, and to avail users of the new changes. The Administration of Radio, Film and Television at all levels should bring their ideas and actions in line with the requirements by the central government, submit to the national and people¡¯s interests, respect the laws of science, shift public conception, change mode of development, achieve a strategic transformation, highlight the features of radio and TV broadcasting, give full play to their advantages, strengthen the technological innovation, system innovation and service innovation, and actively explore pursuing the development road of integrating three networks with Chinese characteristics in a safe and controllable manner.

(1) Strengthen technical innovation, accelerate digital transformation as well as modification towards dual-way function, and speed up the construction of Next Generation Broadcasting (NGB).

Digitalization and dual-way function are not only the prerequisites and foundation of cable TV network to carry out various types of integrated businesses, but also the main tasks and central work of cable network upgrading. More than 65 million cable digital TV users have completed the integrated transformation across the country, in which over 30 million subscribers can enjoy two-day transmission capacity, but the actual dual-way television top box users only attains around 2 million with a very low proportion, and thus dual-way cable network transformation shall go through many tough difficulties. The cities that have accomplished the digital conversion should accelerate the pace of dual-way transformation as well as the basic platform construction for broad-band data, which can give full play to the superiority of one-way broadcast, while providing dual-way interactive multi-functional services, so as to enable cable networks to turn into an important supporting platform for promoting high-speed broadband and high-definition interaction during integration of the three networks. As for the cities that have not completed digital conversion yet, we must insist on high standards as well as direct dual-way function transition, with a high starting point and in a one-step manner, enabling interactive TV, video on demand, and time-shifted TV to become the basic functions of digital cable TV. We should vigorously push forward broadband access and other comprehensive services, and strive to achieve strategic transformation of cable network from now on, in accordance with the unified national plan. On the basis of the cooperation agreement signed by the Administration, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Shanghai Municipal Government last year, the Administration will further reinforce efforts to promote and accelerate development of NGB strategic development plan this year, with clear NGB development goals, major tasks, implementation steps and relevant supporting measures, in order to endeavor to establish NGB transmission network (backbone network speeds reach up to 1000 gigabit per second, the client-side access network speeds reach up to 100 megabytes per second), NGB service platform (which offers ¡°one-stop¡± service concerning integration of the three networks of high-definition television, digital audio and video programming, mobile multimedia, high-speed data access and voice, etc.), NGB management system (achieve intelligent monitoring and management on business, content, networks and users), to actualize inter-regional accession, exchange and program resource share of broadcast and television network business, and to provide users with all-round services of preferable quality and higher efficiency. Combined with the pilot integration of the three networks, the construction of NGB model networks will be synchronously boosted, with a plan that it will take three years to establish NGB model networks in major cities nationwide. Unify the technical standards, strengthen R & D and industrial development, accelerate the organization and stipulation for NGB standard systems, and develop and improve relevant technologies, networks, as well as operational standards. Fully mobilize and bring all the social forces into play, set up NGB technology and industry alliances, conduct joint researches to tackle critical technologies, step up the industrialization process, and form the industrial pattern of win-win cooperation and sound development. Enhance NGB safety and security system, and manage to make it controllable, safe and reliable, ensuring safe transmission and unblocked government decrees.

(2) Strengthen the system innovation, speed up integration of cable networks and the pace of public institutions transforming into enterprises, and foster qualified market entities in line with the requirements of modern enterprise system along with modern property system.

Last year, the Administration already issued Opinions on Accelerating the Development of Radio and Television Cable Networks, and we should speed up the pace of network-centric institutions transforming into enterprises at all levels, as well as the integration of all provincial networks, and basically achieve the goal of ¡°one network for each province¡± as of the end of this year. At present, 13 provinces have completed the network integration on the whole, and network companies from Beijing, Shaanxi, Hunan, Shenzhen and other areas have been listed. All provinces should pay close attention to promote the network integration. First, we must always adhere to the principles of administrative promotion, market operation, maintaining existing values, as well as share on the increments, protect legitimate rights and interests of all parties, in particular, safeguard the real interests of prefecture-level cities and counties, and push common development and connection at provincial, city and county levels. Second, provinces, prefecture-level cities and counties determine the asset evaluation criteria via joint consultation in the shareholding manner; in the light of requirements by modern enterprise system and modern property system, jointly build and foster qualified market players with independent operation on the principle of benefit-sharing and risk-sharing. Third, we should stick to the principle of equal emphasis on business development and network integration simultaneously, which are supposed to promote each other, but cannot be separated and affect the rapid development of cable networks. In accordance with requirements of the overall program of integration of the three networks, the Administration will step up efforts to research and propose a plan regarding the formation of a nationwide-level cable TV network. The Administration will, on the one hand, actively seek national policy support and financial investment, and on the other hand, make full use of such market instruments as shareholding reforms, in order to establish cable TV market players involved in Triple Play networks as soon as possible, improve the intensified and large-scale operation, and progressively promote the realization of a new pattern of the national cable TV network with unified planning, construction, operation, management, and joint development.

(3) Strengthen the service innovation, accelerate the development of new forms of services, and effectively enhance the service capacity and level of cable television.

The users¡¯ demand is inexhaustible motive force for the development of cable television. It is a basic requirement for cable television services to be people-oriented and customer-oriented. When advancing digital conversion, dual-way transformation and network integration at all levels, it is necessary to treat it as the starting point and ultimate foothold to meet the needs of users, and to put it in a more prominent position to improve the service system and develop new forms of services, and constantly enhance the degrees of rich content, image clarity, user experience, and affordable prices. First, the scientific classification standards of broadcasting industry should be formulated, differentiating the basic services from value-added services, and the classified directory on broadcasting services should be established; attention should be paid to the studying and formulation of regulations on quality management for cable television services, which can provide strong policy norms and standards for the national cable TV network to carry out various types of business services and to improve service quality. Second, clarify the orientation for services, improve service standards, detail service processes, tighten service management, process customer complaints in a timely way, and provide refined and thoughtful services for every family and every terminal. At the same time, the supervision by the social community and users should be consciously accepted to form a brand and public image of good service for cable digital television, and to protect the people¡¯s basic cultural rights and interests. Third, strengthen the development of new services, and promote the integration of innovation and localization services. The research and development on emerging industrial technologies such as Internet of Things must be strengthened, and vigorous efforts should be made to develop such new services as HDTV, video on demand, e-government, bank payments, information on people¡¯s livelihood, TV video call, broadband access, home intelligence, etc., so that cable digital TV can truly become the multimedia information platform for integrated services enjoyed by everyone in every household, which will meet the people¡¯s diverse and ever-changing spiritual, cultural and information needs, and make due contributions to China¡¯s cultural industry development, and social and family informationization.

Distinguished guests and dear comrades,

At the new historical starting point, the development of China¡¯s broadcasting industry can¡¯t be materialized without the support and help from the equipment community and all the other social sectors, and in particular, the unremitting efforts by the nation-wide broadcasting community. Under the guidance of Deng Xiaoping Theory and the Thoughts of Three Represents, we need to conscientiously apply the Scientific Outlook on Development, to speed up the development mode changes and the construction of a modern communication system with full mental state and strong work morale. We need to work around the center, serve the overall situation, achieve innovations, and make joint and diligent efforts to press ahead with the development of the broadcasting industry so as to make our part of contributions to the building of a well-off society in an all-round way!

To conclude, I wish the exhibition a great success! Thank you!