SARFT Takes Control of Online Video
China's online video landscape is poised to change dramatically under the strict new rules circulated by the State Administration of Radio, Film and TV (SARFT) on March 30.
In a major move designed to consolidate its control over online video content, the broadcast industry regulator has extended the current licensing system for TV programs and films to the online arena. Online video sites will not be allowed to host any films, TV dramas or animation series - from Chinese or overseas - that have not received a license for public showing and distribution from SARFT.
The move could spell a major shake-up for the online video industry, which was worth RMB130.70 million (US$19.11 million) in the fourth quarter of 2008 alone. Up to now, online video sites have been a haven for people who want to watch (relatively) unregulated, uncensored content from China and abroad.
While the sites have been responsible for vetting all the content they host and censoring any material that SARFT deems "unhealthy" or "vulgar", they have been able to host a huge volume of content that has never received - and in many cases would never receive - approval to appear on Chinese TV or cinema screens.
Once the new rules kick in, a lot of the most popular content on online video sites will be illegal, such as many Korean and Taiwan TV drama series and variety shows. Popular American Tv series such as Gossip Girls and Prison Break will also be illegal. Even if online video sites are allowed to obtain broadcast licenses for their programs under the SARFT licensing system, they will lose one of their biggest advantages: their ability to get content up faster than anyone else.
"In practical terms, it always takes a long time for a TV drama to receive a broadcast license," the editor-in-chief of online video site OpenV told Beijing Times. "It will be hard for online video sites to maintain their timeliness if they have to wait for a license."
The clampdown is not just limited to professional content either. SARFT has instructed online video sites to ramp up their scrutiny of all content, such as music videos, short films and user-generated clips.The March 30 circular included a detailed list of content online operators should edit or remove from their websites. It covers a range of no no's, from content that distorts Chinese history and culture, to graphic depictions of violence and drug use, sexually suggestive content and content that violates copyright laws. Just in case it missed anything, the list ended with the catch-all clause "anything that violates the spirit and law of the regulations".
CMM-I has predicted that SARFT would extend its control over online video before.The presence of so much unregulated material violates SARFT's charter as the gatekeeper of broadcast content in China, and treatens traditional broadcasters' businesses. Now SARFT has placed its cards on the table, we look forward to interesting times as the online video industry adjusts to the new status quo.