China to launch 3DTV channel for the Year of the Dragon

China will launch its first 3DTV channel during the Chinese New Year holidays, beginning January 23.

The launch was announced earlier this month by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT). The channel will be jointly operated by CCTV, Beijing TV (BTV), Radio and Television Shanghai (RTS), Tianjin Radio and TV, Jiangsu TV and Shenzhen TV.

SARFT, an executive branch under the State Council of China, administers and supervises state-owned enterprises engaged in the TV, radio and film industries, will lead the group of TV stations to invest and run the 3DTV channel. 

As part of China’s 12th Five-Year Plan (2010-15), SARFT has called for 10 3DTV stations to be launched — heralding a “new era” in the TV market in China.