Digitization hobbled by cable operators' monopoly

The 15th China Content Broadcasting Network (CCBN) exhibition, which concluded on Sunday in Beijing, was a big draw as new technologies and applications such as digital broadcasting and mobile TVs attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors.

But there's little for cable operators to cheer about. Many, especially county-level operators, still rely on government subsidies to stay afloat.

Zhang Haitao, deputy director of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), complained at the CCBN that cable TV operators generate a much lower ARPU (average revenue per user) compared to telecom service operators.