Station is accused of airing hundreds of songs without paying royalties
CCTV is one of the mainland's most flagrant music pirates, using hundreds of songs from artists in Taiwan, Hong Kong and elsewhere without paying royalties, industry figures say.
Industry executives estimate that the lost royalty payments could amount to hundreds of millions of yuan each year.
'[The total] would be enormous,' said Wayne Bickerton, chairman of performing rights organisation Sesac International in London, whose clients include Bob Dylan.
Songs from Taiwanese and Hong Kong artists were the most frequently used by the broadcaster, publishers said.
Payments for using songs on television and radio in Britain came to about US$180 million a year, while in the US the figure topped $500 million, Dr Bickerton said.