China sets up special fund for public service ads

China has set up a special fund worth more than 10 million yuan (1.6 million U.S. dollars) to support public service advertisements.

Radio and TV programs, roadside billboards and banners have long played a key role in promoting good values and providing knowledge on a range of topics, from furnace safety to giving up bus seats to the elderly.

A total of 132 projects chosen from more than 500 applications have been covered by the fund, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT) said Friday.

Completed projects that have already aired include one by the Beijing Media Network calling for patience in parenting, as well as an anti-speeding ad by a radio station in east China's Zhejiang Province.

Figures from the administration show that central and local television groups made 16,000-plus public service ads under the organization of SAPPRFT as of late November, with total air time of some three million minutes.

SAPPRFT vowed to increase financial investment to boost the production and airing of public service programs.