China's broadcasting administrators issued a notice on July 30, requesting that all local broadcasting stations in the country critique and censor any and all off color commercials, including those with sexual innuendos.

The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) criticized several local broadcasters, stating that they are still illicitly running ads for financial gain only.

The SARFT said that some broadcasters have ignored previously issued regulations, thus besmirching the entire broadcasting reputation and lowering public credibility.

The notice categorized four kinds of ongoing violations. The first category monitored the broadcasting of dubious commercials promoting fake medical equipment, unapproved medicines, and scam aphrodisiacs. Additionally, for the first time SARFT asked broadcasters to ban commercials laced with sexual innuendoes.

The second category covered broadcasting TV series and movies. During shows and films many broadcasters often insert too many commercials, some of which are even tediously stretched out. The notice cited an example of one TV station that had inserted commercials eight times during a single movie's showing. Some of these commercials had running times up to 20 minutes.

The third category inspected how some broadcasters employed tricks inserting commercials in various positions; rolling titles, screen corners, garbage TV-sent text messages and voice over services.

The fourth category examined how some broadcasters rebroadcast other TV-stations' programs while dubbing their own commercials without approval.

The announcement ordered all broadcasters to ban blacklisted commercials, to correct the irregular ads and to insert legal rights and regulations. Local broadcasters are urged to independently examine their output and to report possible problems and solutions to their higher ups before August 15. Next, these provincial level broadcasting administrations should report their administrative findings to SARFT before August 20.

The notice stated that state administrators shall take punitive actions toward those who refuse to make amendments and toward those who have committed very serious violations contradicting by laws and regulations previously circulated. Also, broadcasters who disregard warnings to suspend commercials on their TV channels will be disciplined. Broadcasting executives will be held more responsible to the public. Punitive results will also be open to the public.

This announcement is designed to create a healthy environment for society.

Two provincial-level TV channels have been ordered to suspend all commercials as punishment for repeatedly screening banned medical advertisements in June. This is the gravest measure taken by the SARFT since new regulations came into force last August. At that time the policy banned television and radio commercials for a list of fake consumer goods: medicines, medical equipment, weight loss, breast enlargement and other beauty products and treatments.

(China.org.cn by Zhang Rui, August 2, 2007)