On the heels of a recent ban against “sexually suggestive noises” on Chinese TV and radio, the SARFT has increased its efforts to clean up the airwaves prior to a meeting of the 17th Party Congress, which is held every five years, and at which key national leaders are appointed and policy is set for the next few years.
“Every TV advertisement management bureau and TV station must strengthen their political consciousness and responsibility toward society,” SARFT spokesman said.
Previously, the agency also had banned TV programs featuring talent competitions, plastic surgery and sex-change operations, deeming the programming content to be unacceptable. A few weeks ago, the agency also closed down 11 radio talk shows, finding the topics of discussion pornographic in nature.
A notice posted on the SARFT website said, “Illegal sexual medication advertisements and other harmful ads pose a grave threat to society.
“They not only seriously mislead consumers, harm the people's health, pollute the social environment, and corrupt social mores, but also directly harm the credibility of public broadcasting and affect the image of the Communist Party and the government,” the statement continued.
Meanwhile, on Sept. 27, in the Liaoning province of China, a model posed for photos in a bra and panty set handmade by craftsmen out of 950 grams of solid gold, suggesting that with an economy that is increasingly influenced by commercial interests in the West, governmental agencies may have to be extra diligent, in terms of preventing access to provocative content.