LEADER: Ad hacking knocks China TV image

It's hardly surprising to hear that CCTV's China-wide broadcast of the World Cup last month had ads hacked out of it by provincial, city and local television stations in order to make way for their own commercials.

It highlights the fact that the country still has some way to go towards understanding the meaning of corporate ethics. The obvious victims are the advertisers who paid out huge sums of money to give their products and services national exposure. But more importantly, it gives the TV industry a less than sterling image at a time when it is preparing for greater competition, resulting from WTO membership.