China Media Monitor Headlines Archives

The State Administration of Radio, Film and TV (SARFT) released strict new regulations on the TV shopping industry on December 10. The regulations introduce strict new rules governing TV shopping channel operation and content production. They also restrict the volume of TV shopping programs that can be aired over ordinary channels that are not dedicated TV shopping channels, as well as the timeslots the programs can be aired in. After the regulations take effect in January 2010, broadcasters will need to apply to SARFT for approval to operate a TV shopping channel or air TV shopping content on a non-dedicated TV shopping channel.

188 mainland newspapers and magazines to either stopped publishing or were acquired by other publishing groups by November 2009, according to the General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP). Government funding has been withdrawn from most newspapers and periodical publishers under the publishing reforms initiated by GAPP last year, forcing commercially uncompetitive publications to withdraw from the market.

Mainland web portal Sohu has won a copyright infringement suit against the online video site Youku, according to Sina. On December 16, the Beijing Haidian District People's Court found Youku guilty of hosting four films in contravention of Youku's exclusive broadcasting rights. The court ordered Youku to pay Sohu RMB105,000 (US15,373.35) in compensation. Another video site, Voole, also won a copyright infringement suit against Youku on November 26.

Mainland video site Voole has announced it will sue all companies who placed their ads before, during or after pirated content on rival site Youku, reports Sina. Voole said it is gathering evidence on the advertising featured on 589 pirated TV dramas and films hosted on Youku. Voole brought a similar case against Coca-Cola in the Beijing Haidian District People's Court on December 15 but the case was dismissed on grounds of insufficient evidence.

Xinhua News Agency is set to launch a satellite TV channel called China International TV in 2010 after launching trial broadcasts on November 18, reports Tencent. After the official launch, the channel will air China-related and international news in Chinese after its official launch. English language broadcasts will be introduced at a later date. The channel will cover the Asian-Pacific region at the start and later expand to Europe and America. "Many world famous news agencies have their own TV platform to broadcast news. Xinhua News Agency has made the effort to join them," said Audio-Video Department Manager Zhang Hao.