On average, TV stations are offering about an eighth less commercial minutage during primetime this year, after the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (Sarft) ordered TV stations to limit advertising to 18 minutes between 7pm and 9pm, traditionally the most sought-after slots in the Chinese schedule.
Broadcasters, under pressure to meet challenging new revenue targets set by Sarft, responded by pushing up prices for peak-time viewing and extending the number of minutes for ads outside of primetime, boosting the appeal of other dayparts for advertisers.
"Negotiations have been very tough and tactical placement is key," said MindShare China's national buying and implementation director, Simon Woodward.
"The skill in trying to keep inflation down is two-fold - making sure you buy at the right price and in the right place."
Client attitudes to media planning in China have become increasingly sophisticated in recent years, Woodward explained, aided by the wider use and availability of media research. Although the escalating cost of TV airtime has prompted some advertisers to divert part of their media budget to print and outdoor, most are looking at maximising TV spend.
Sarft 's limit on peak-time advertising has reshaped TV schedules in China, pushing forward the daypart offering the most ad time from prime-time to the late evening slot, between nine to 11pm.
The amount of advertising airtime available during the morning and late afternoon has also dramatically increased as stations rearrange their schedules to compensate for the prime-time restrictions.
The Sarft ruling has also prompted some TV stations to shift major programmes into the afternoon and late evening, hoping higher ratings figures will stimulate advertising in these slots and reduce the broadcasters' dependence on primetime ad revenues.
Provincial channels, generally the most reliant on prime-time revenues, have been hit the hardest by the changes and have instigated the biggest changes to prices and scheduling.
Local channels have been moderately affected, while the rate card for the national broadcaster, China Central Television, has remained largely the same as the amount of primetime adspace offered by its stations was already in line with Sarft's new regulations.