Note 7 - Other receivables, net

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2013

Loans, Notes, Trade and Other Receivables Disclosure [Text Block]

7.   Other receivables, net

	March 31, 2013			December 31, 2012
	US$(’000)			US$(’000)
	(Unaudited)
Short-term loan made for marketing campaign		2,388			2,375
Short-term loans to unrelated entities		478			475
Term deposit interest receivable		89			59
Staff advances for normal business purpose		173			194
Overdue contract guarantee deposits		420			158
Allowance for doubtful debts		(420	)		(158	)
Other receivables, net		3,128			3,103

Short-term loan for marketing campaign: for one of the major marketing campaigns, the Company made a marketing-related loan of RMB25,000,000 (approximately US$3,979,878) to a TV series of 36 episodes, called “Xiao Zhang Feng Yun.” This TV series was produced in commemoration of “The Republican Revolution of 1911” (the Chinese bourgeois democratic revolution led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen which overthrew the Qing Dynasty). By participating in this TV series, the Company’s logo will be shown during the credits at the end of each episode and also shown as a separate card during the closing before the credit screen. This TV series has been broadcasted on CCTV 8 and www.sina.com.cn since September 2011 and continues to sell its broadcasting rights to other provincial TV channels for additional exposure. For the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, the Company has collected an aggregate of RMB10,000,000 (approximately US$1,591,951) from the borrower. In accordance with the communication between the Company and the borrower, the Company has extended the term of this loan from December 31, 2012 to December 31, 2013, as this TV series is still selling its broadcasting rights to TV stations and other media and the Company has agreed a repayment schedule with the borrower, which is within one year. The Company will continue to assess the collectability of this loan and if an event occurs or circumstances change that could indicate that the collectability of this loan is remote, a full allowance of bad debts provision will be provided for the remaining outstanding balance of this loan.

For all advertising resources purchasing contracts signed by the Company with its resource providers, the Company is required to make contract guarantee deposits, which are either used to pay the actual contract amount of resources used in the last month of each contract period or to be refunded to the Company of the remaining balance upon expiration of the contract. Overdue contract guarantee deposits represented the portion of the contract guarantee deposits, which related advertising resources purchasing contracts had been completed as of each of the reporting dates. Based on the assessment of the collectability of these overdue contract guarantee deposits as of March 31, 2013, the Company provided approximately US$420,000 allowance for doubtful debts, which was related to the contract guarantee deposits of its TV advertising business segment. For the three months ended March 31, 2013, approximately US$260,000 allowance for doubtful debts was provided.