Market Access Report: Media & Publishing

Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue

On the heels of China's accession to the World Trade Organization, the country's media and publishing sector is set to become one of the world's most coveted markets. There are already more than 300 million TV sets in China that serve an audience of 1.1 billion viewers. The total number of cable TV subscribers reached nearly 100 million at the end of 2000 and subscriptions continue to grow at an annual rate of 10%. TV advertising income grew from a miniscule US$67.5 million in 1991 to US$8.7 billion in 2001. More than 400 million people bought Chinese newspapers and magazines in 2000, representing enormous consumer purchasing power. Advertising revenue for printed media was US$3.11 billion in 2001, or 38 times the figure for 1991.

Still, this huge media market remains protected by rigid legal, political and bureaucratic controls, which together prevent foreign investors from full participation in most sectors.