TV station opens China office for HK revenue hike

HONG KONG: Television Broadcast (TVB), one of Hong Kong's two free-to-air broadcasters, is opening its first China sales office.

By establishing a presence in Guangzhou and tapping China's relatively buoyant ad market, TVB is hoping to counter sluggish operating conditions in Hong Kong.

Rival station ATV has however, been quicker and has six representative offices in the mainland. TVB, which is applying for an ad licence in China, is planning to use title sponsorship as a means of driving sales among mainland firms. "Some famous China brands have still not yet entered Hong Kong, but we believe they will soon,

said its marketing and sales controller, Leung Kin Wah.

In 2000, China accounted for seven per cent its total revenue of HK$2 billion (about US$257 million).