China's advertising expenditure via television, newspapers and magazines reached 386.6 billion yuan (49.5 billion U.S. dollars) in 2006, up 22 percent on the previous year, according to the Nielsen Media Research.

Television remained the most favored medium among advertisers, accounting for 81 percent of the total ad expenditure on the three key forms, said Nielsen.

Advertisements for medicines and cosmetics took up a large proportion of the total industry.

The cities of Nanjing, Changsha and Jinan reported the largest growth rates of more than 40 percent in advertising expenditure last year.

Advertising for emigration services, soft drinks and yogurt products also saw marked growths last year, according to the research.

Source: Xinhua