Slow take-up for pay-TV

State-run CCTV's broadcasts of digital pay-TV will remain free of charge for another two months in an effort to boost subscribers. Although about 60 million homes can receive the service, only about 5,000 have so far signed up, the South China Morning Post quoted reports as saying. The six-channel service offering a mix of sports and entertainment news began broadcasting a year ago and was to begin charging fees this month. Each channel will cost between RMB 8-10 per month. The Post quoted one analyst as saying Chinese viewers were reluctant to pay for TV programming given the wide variety already available on free-to-air services.