Chinese TV channels asked to air more domestic documentaries

China's television and broadcasting watchdog has asked satellite channels across the country to air at least one half-hour domestic documentary on average daily starting next year.

The total documentary broadcast time on the country's 34 satellite TV channels is expected to reach 6,000 hours in 2014, said Gao Changli, a publicity official with the State General Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television.

Gao made the remarks at the four-day 2013 Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival, which concluded on Thursday and screened 2,071 documentaries from 72 countries and regions.

The move aims to boost documentary market sales, meet the needs of the domestic audience and foster the industry, according to the official.

Total sales hit a record of 150 million yuan (24.7 million US dollars) at the festival, according to a report carried by the People's Daily on Friday.