Global broadcaster MTV Networks will expand into Internet and mobile value-added services in China, China Daily reported on Friday.

"I am not discouraged, but encouraged by what is happening in China," William Roedy, vice-chairman of MTV Networks and president of MTV Networks International, was quoted by the newspaper as saying.

There are more than 340 million families with access to TV broadcasting, over 400 million mobile phone users and 111 million Internet users in China.

These figures are expected to continue growing in coming years with more demand for value-added services, the newspaper said.

Although China has allowed foreign broadcasters to establish joint ventures relating to content production, broadcasting is still forbidden.

MTV, the entertainment channel that is owned by media giant Viacom, is aired in the Pearl River Delta in South China and a number of luxury residences and hotels in other parts of the country.

It also has a production joint venture with Shanghai Media Group.

Roedy told Chinese media at an interview that his company would launch broadband services "very soon," as China has the Internet population second only to the United States.

He said services could be conducted either in partnership with local firms or through acquisitions.

The broadcasting giant has already acquired four Internet companies in recent years, as it builds a converged media empire that includes TV, mobile phones and the Internet.

MTV also aims to upgrade its cooperation with China Mobile, the world's largest mobile carrier in terms of subscribers. The two companies agreed to offer MTV content to China Mobile users in the form of ring tones, music and picture downloads last year.

Roedy said that as China is about to launch third-generation mobile systems, which have much bigger bandwidth, the two companies will talk about launching services such as video streaming to phone users.

Source: Xinhua