BEIJING - China's central and local governments poured some 16 billion yuan ($2.4 billion), from 2006 to 2010, into building basic radio and TV networks that now cover "every village."
"In our vast country, many people in remote rural areas still cannot enjoy radio, television programs and films. Local governments have spent more money and other resources in building radio and TV networks and screening movies in these regions," said Wang Taihua, head of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), Thursday.
The hefty investment in the past five years has expedited the building of a public service system in the country's rural areas.
According to Wang, during the past five years the country ensured that satellite broadcasting signals reached every village with more than 20 families, and today many villages are able to receive many radio and TV programs.
Meanwhile, digital film screening services now are available in 640,000 villages.
Figures from SARFT detail how more than 7.8 million film screenings were made last year, which achieved the goal of "one film for one village in one month."
Wang added that SARFT aims to upgrade the coverage of basic radio and TV networks to "every family" in the country by 2015.
