CCTV is set to host the "2009 Annual Economic Professionals" next month, selecting 10 people who could help light up China's economy.
The 20 candidates hail from all over the country, representing industries including risk investment, education and finance.
"We believe that those selected can transform China's economy from 'made in China' to 'created in China', " Guo Zhenxi, director of CCTV Advertising Economic Information Center, said in a speech at yesterday's opening ceremony.
The event jointly sponsored by CCTV and ten different websites started in 2000. It has now developed into a notable gauge for determining those to have significance in influencing the future of China's economy.