China's digital cable television population doubled in 2007, as savvy domestic consumers embraced more forms of "new media," according to a report by the country's media watchdog.

Domestic digital cable TV subscribers reached 26.86 million in 2007, double that of the previous year, according to the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) report. It attributed the growth to the government's plan to digitalize the country's TV industry.

To date, 53 Chinese cities had established digital cable TV systems. Among them, 31 had switched from analog cable TV to digital TV, it said.

The report added the number of Chinese subscribers for IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) topped 1 million in 2007, while more than 8 million subscribed to cell phone TV services, a drastic increase from less than 1 million in 2006.

Among the country's 210 million Internet population, 86.6 percent accessed online music services, while 76.9 percent viewed online video services, the report said.

"The year 2007 was a very important year for the development of the 'new media,' such as IPTV and cell phone TV," the report read.

(Xinhua News Agency June 17, 2008)