2015, Entertainment restriction 2.o version

Last week, most of Chinese broadcasters released their new programmes plans for advertising in 2015. More than 200 shows will fill the screen. The foreign TV formats from Korea and Israel are becoming popular on Chinese screen in next year. 

In 2015, SAPPRFT will continue to follow the entertainment restriction, and require all domestic broadcasters can only import one international format a year, while foreign formats will not be allowed to be broadcast in primetime. Actually, only 40 pure entertainment shows on TV in coming year. Compare with this year, the number is flat.

At the same time, SAPPRFT encourge that it will now require a number of China’s TV stations to send groups of producers “into grass root areas and communities” to produce TV dramas and films that “show life in these areas.”

The regulator noted that it would “recognize and promote” and TV dramas that highlight life in these areas. The term for the areas in question in Chinese is somewhat hard to define, but it is “Ji Ceng” which means those areas of China that are poor, border areas or areas of China where significant non Han Chinese live. Or really any area at the lowest administration level.

The policy announcements says that film and TV production crews should spend no less than 30 days a year in these areas. The activity aims to “connect the TV stations with Ji Ceng community.”

The move follows major policy speeches by Chinese leader Xi Jinping noting that media should create works that “..are like sunshine from a blue sky and breeze in the Spring that will inspire minds, warm hearts, cultivate taste and clean up undesirable work styles.”