CCTV's two affiliates CCTV.com and ICCTV.com.cn are discussing a merger and will soon open a new company to serve as a unified platform for broadcasting IPTV programs in China.

At present, the top management team of the new company, except for the general manager, has not been arranged. The name of the new company will be announced around April 1.

CCTV also says it will obtain an IPTV license in about 3 weeks.

Internet protocol television, or IPTV, uses a two-way digital broadcast signal that is sent through a switched telephone or cable network by way of a broadband connection, along with a set top box programmed with software that can handle viewer requests to access media sources.