The hike is part of a package of changes China Central Television will implement to its annual auction, taking place on November 18.
Another innovation is the launch of a 7.5 second break in place of its five-second format for 2003. The new format will run after the highly-desired weather report. CCTV's advertising department head, Guo Zhen-xi, said the longer format was offered in response to advertisers' requests.
"Advertisers find that the five-second slot can only help build brand awareness, but is not enough to deliver their brand messages."
Seven slots are up for auction, including the 7pm time reporting, after news, focus interview, inside weather report and drama sponsorship. Bidders will be required to put up a deposit of Rmb 1 million (US$120,811), which will be offset when ads are booked. CCTV's rate hike surprised media agencies, who said China's flagging TV spend did not warrant any increase. CCTV's auction mainly attracts China brands and brokers. However, the volume rebate cancellation is expected to cut brokers out.
