China to keep closer eye on local TV dramas, news shows
China has unleashed another round of censorship rules for local media, this time focusing on TV dramas and news shows.
The country's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) announced late Monday a set of rules calling for local government officials charged with overseeing TV dramas to be more vigilant.
SARFT says it wants local officials to ensure approved scripts are being used and to submit monthly reports about various productions.
The new regulations urge local officials to carefully review productions to make sure "major or sensitive" issues, such as historical, political, military or religious themes, are approved by censors.
The announcement also warned local news programs that they should be relying on the state-run China Central Television for international news reports. They were urged to avoid foreign sources, some of which may "have clear political intentions."
The ruling Communist Party has a reputation for clamping down on media freedom for a variety of reasons, sometimes disclosed, sometimes not.
Recent decisions include restricting the entrance of foreign magazines into China, including foreign-Chinese partnerships.
In March, a Chinese version of Rolling Stone magazine stopped production after only one issue because the government invalidated the approved partnership between local producers and the U.S.-based music magazine.
In February, the government banned cartoon programming that blends animation with live-action actors, purportedly to protect a burgeoning local animation industry and curb foreign influences on young Chinese viewers.
In August 2005, China barred new foreign television channels, promised a new set of content guidelines for foreign channels already existing in the country and said it would not allow the import of new newspapers and magazines, electronic publications and audiovisual products.
The government also controls which movies are allowed into commercial theatres on the mainland.
However, the government's control over the dissemination of foreign media, information and programming has become much more difficult due to the spread of internet access in China, the rise of Chinese bloggers and pirating of Western movies, music and TV shows.