With the final results of the Second China Golden Disc (CGD) Award set to be announced in Beijing in May, officials reiterated more importance should be attached to regulating China's audio-video industry.

"With these awards, we hope to arouse people's awareness of the importance of producing, or buying legal audio-video products and to regulate the development of China's domestic music industry," Zhong Jian, deputy director of the second CGD organizing committee told China Daily.

Organized by the China Audio-Video Association (CAVA), the China Golden Disc Award is unique in China's phonographic industry and aims to promote domestically produced music names, said Zhong.

Although the sale of China's legal audio-video products hit a record of 2.577 billion yuan (US$310.48 million) in 2003, the country, as the second largest market of audio-video products in the world, only made it to 12th position in the world sales list, statistics show.

Zhong attributed part of the situation to the worsening pirate activities in the music industry, one of the major obstacles to industry's growth.

"As pirated audio-video products have had a negative impact on the music industry, increasing the development of the legal audio-video industry in the country is a matter of urgency," said Zhong.

"With the theme of promoting legal audio-video products, the CGD will be helpful for the industry's growth in China."

Once the legal audio-video industry is better developed, the cost of music products will be lowered and the pirated products will get a smaller share in the market, said Zhong.

As the only award classified not only according to music categories, but the music production process of China, this year's CGD awards will comprise 56 prizes in 21 categories, and include China's traditional opera and classical music, which have held important positions in the country's musical development history.

A committee of experts, including renowned Chinese musician Alan Tam from Hong Kong and Jan Smith and Eric T Johnson, two musicians from the United States and Grammy Award accredited adjudicators, has been formed to help the award better meet international standards.

After agreeing on a contract with the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, which gives the CGD award winners candidacy for the World Music Awards, the CGD organizing committee signed another agreement with Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications (China) Co Ltd, on March 1 in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province.

Under that co-operation they will develop a music program for broadcast by more than 100 TV stations later this year, said Zhong.

"As part of the CGD awards, this program will feature original musical works in China and at the same time promote the audio-video industry's development," he added.

(China Daily March 11, 2005)