MUMBAI: China International Television Corp (CITVC) and the Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (Casbaa) have announced details of the inaugural China International Sports Television Forum.

The event takes place in Beijing on 25 August 2005.

The theme for the seminar is The Fastest Marathon – China Sports TV 2005-2008. The China International Sports TV Forum 2005 will be co-hosted by The State Administration of Radio, Film & Television (SARFT) and China Media Group, and supported by the Beijing Olympic Committee Organizing Group (Bocog) and national broadcaster CCTV. The event producer is national sports TV network CCTV-5, with front-running Chinese-language ISP, Sina.com as the main sponsor.

CITVC president Li Jian says, “The objective of this year’s Forum is to highlight international best practices for the further development of the sports television market within China and to underline China’s increasing capacity to match those global standards.

“During the forum we will examine the most innovative business models for sports television and exchange views and information on the latest technical advances in the run-up to the Beijing 2008 Olympics. We are particularly pleased to be working with BOCOG and Casbaa at this important time.”

Casbaa chairman Marcel Fenez says, “As a regional industry organisation devoted to the advancement of multi-channel television, Casbaa is delighted to be partnering with CITVC on this project which our board of directors believes will add significantly to industry knowledge.”

Participants at the event will include Bocog VC Jiang Xiao Yu, Sarft vice minister Tian Jin, Beijing Olympic Broadcasting COO Ma Guo Li, and CCTV VP Sun Yu Sheng.