China sets sights on low-brow TV talk shows
Shows feature falsified situations, actors: media reports
Last Updated: Wednesday, December 24, 2008 | 10:33 AM ET
CBC News
A certain brand of talk show has riled China's broadcast regulator, which will crackdown on what it deems low-brow, "confessional" TV programs.
Many of the shows in question are largely produced on regional stations, with titles like Real Love and Say It Like It Is, according to Chinese media and Reuters.
Purportedly a venue for people to discuss or vent about personal problems, many shows are resorting to made-up situations and actors portraying regular people in order to score higher ratings, local media reported.
Over the past few years, the Chinese government has increasingly stepped up efforts to censor television programming it deems inappropriate, including barring some imported content.
In 2006, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television issued strict new rules governing news coverage and dramatic programs.
Last year, the government also launched a campaign to ban "coarse" shows from the airwaves, including reality programs that detailed sex-change operations and plastic surgeries.
