Leaders Debate Animation Industry in Shanghai

BEIJING & SHANGHAI --- Following the introduction of tough new regulations in May (see CMM passim), senior leaders from the State Administration of Radio, Film and TV (SARFT) and Shanghai Municipal Government met in mid-June with over sixty industry representatives to debate the future of the highly challenged animation sector.

The meeting, held at the Shanghai Animation TV & Film Company, was attended by
(ex-) SARFT Director Tian Congming (see CMM passim), Vice-Director Zhao Shi and a number of senior Shanghai officials led by Vice-Party Secretary Gong Xueping, Vice Mayor Zhou Muyao, Propaganda Department Chief Jin Binghua and Culture & Broadcasting Director Ye Zhikang.

The delegates were told that domestic cartoons have been "stunned" by the effect of imported cartoons over recent years. The extent of that effect was revealed by SARFT statistics which show that, in 1998 and 1999, imported cartoons represented 80% of the broadcast total in prefecture and city areas.

The SARFT leadership explained that the regulations put into place in June this year (see CMM passim) are designed to encourage and protect the domestic industry and address social concerns regarding media messages to young people.

Although the meeting was called to address concerns related to the new regulations and industry strategies ahead of WTO accession, the occasion was also used to celebrate and reward outstanding local animation production companies for their efforts over the recent years.

A number of companies were singled out for special praise, led by the mainland's dominant producers CCTV and Shanghai Animation Film & TV (Group) Co. The meeting was told CCTV has invested RMB 200 million in animation production over the last seven years.

Meanwhile, the Shanghai Animation Film & TV (Group) Co. was praised for its productions with the support of Shanghai Broadcasting Network (Shanghai's official satellite channel) ("Wo Wei Ge Kuang"), Oriental TV ("Mallard Detective Story") and Shanghai Cable TV ("Feng Shen Bang Chuan Qi").

Speaking at the recent Hong Kong FILMART, Jin Guoping, Director of the Shanghai Animation Film Studio said his company would reach an annual production output of 5,000 minutes this year. He told the Shanghai meeting that this would continue to rise at about 1,000 minutes each year, with 20 minutes of new animation available every day within three years.

In conclusion, Tian Congming stressed that all SARFT departments should work to improve the quality and increase the quantity of the domestic cartoons. He also required all provincial TV stations to broadcast at least ten minutes of new animated programming daily with 75% of that total home-produced.
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