• Hong Kong and Taiwan TV Hosts Shown the Door
    12/03/2009 - 10:00

    The State Administration of Radio, Film and TV (SARFT) has instructed broadcasters not to hire Hong Kong or Taiwan hosts to present variety shows or New Year concerts, reports Chengdu Business Daily. Broadcasters have lured a number of Hong Kong and Taiwan celebrities to the mainland in recent years by offering them high salaries. While the hosts have helped boost ratings with their lively performances, SARFT said it is concerned that TV stations are spending too much money on them. The order is informal as SARFT issued it verbally instead of publishing an official notice.

  • Hunan TV Plans Strong Showing at Asia TV Festival
    12/03/2009 - 09:59

    Hunan TV will be well represented at the 2009 Asia TV Festival (ATF) in Singapore from December 2 to 4. The station is in the running for three awards at the festival, including best variety show for Beat the Mike (Tiaozhan Maikefeng), best TV drama for The Heart of Grass (Youyou Cun Cao Xin) and best variety show host for He Jiong. Hunan TV will also showcase more than 60 productions at the international content market, including its adaptation of the Ugly Betty format (Chounv Wudi) and the Happy Girls (Kuaile Nvsheng) talent show. Sheng Boji, deputy editor-in-chief at the station, said they have already scheduled meetings with more than 10 TV stations and production companies from Italy, France and UK at the festival. The station plans to produce more programs and dramas in the future in a bid to increase the revenues it generates from overseas sales.

  • Youku Ordered to Pay RMB65,885 in IPR Case
    12/03/2009 - 09:58

    Beijing Haidian People's Court ordered leading mainland online video operator Youku to pay China's Anti-Piracy Union RMB450,000 (US$65,885) in compensation for copyright infringements on 47 TV dramas on November 26, according to Beijing Business Today. Rival online video site Voole.com, one of the Union founders, announced that the Union plans to file another lawsuit alleging Youku has infringed the copyright on 242 TV dramas. Youku will have the opportunity to lodge an appeal.

  • Twilight Sells 1.5 Million Copies in China
    12/03/2009 - 09:56

    Jieli Publishing House has sold more than 1.5 million copies of the four volumes in the Twilight series, Beijing News reports. The vampire romance series by US author Stephenie Morgan Meyer has sold around 85 million copies worldwide. The first two volumes have been adapted into two popular films, Twilight and The Twilight Saga: New Moon. The first film in the series premiered across China on November 25.

  • Film Bureau Drafting New Film Industry Regulations
    12/03/2009 - 09:55

    In the future all organizations may need to obtain a license from the State Administration of Radio, Film and TV (SARFT) before they can operate in the mainland film industry, SARFT Film Bureau Vice Director Zhang Hongsen told Nanfang Daily. The Film Bureau is currently drafting new regulations setting out the requirements organizations will have to meet in order to enter the mainland film industry. Under the new regulations, some non-commercial, state-run film organizations will have to cease operations unless they can transform themselves into commercially-oriented, private enterprises.