Statistics released by Nielsen Media Research show that China's advertising industry was worth 3. 8 billion US dollars in the second quarter, dwarfing all other Asian countries. Forrest Didier, chairman of Nielsen Media Research, said the second quarter was a boom time for the Asian advertising industry thanks to the robust regional economy and the first hosting of the football World Cup in Asia. According to Nielsen, many Asian countries reported double- digit advertising growth in the second quarter. China and India were the most notable countries in the region, both boasting a 33 percent increase over the same period last year. Next to China and India, the Republic of Korea (ROK) also earned 1.4 billion US dollars in advertising income. Didier said that like other Asian countries, China's advertising industry also profited from the World Cup, but the country's driving economy was still the major motivating force for advertising.