BEIJING -- As China develops into one of the world's leading producers of skeins of varying quality and content, the country is producing nearly twice as many TV series as manage to get shown on the tube, a symposium has heard.

In 2007, 529 TV series with 14,670 episodes were produced --twice the number produced in 2000. Meanwhile the number of orgs making skeins multiplied nearly sixfold between 2001 and 2007, to 2,511, China Radio Intl.'s website reported.

Watching morning TV in China, you can't help but suspect the lion's share of these skeins involve costumes, fake beards and a loosely interpreted Tang Dynasty text.

The Chinese spend one hour per day on average watching TV shows. Deregulation of the domestic media sector means regional broadcasters have to compete for advertising revenue for the first time, which puts added pressure on casters to provide content. Which is why nearly 90% of China's 1,974 TV channels air these kind of series.

Some of the country's top directors cut their teeth making daytime TV shows, including "Assembly" helmer Feng Xiaogang.

The report quoted prominent TV series helmer You Xiaogang, who said the sheer quantity of low-grade content was the reason for the glut and that there needed to be more cooperation between broadcasters and producers, and more audience feedback, to resolve the issue.