China's ongoing clean-up of the internet has moved away from x-rated content and taken a detour into seemingly harmless American television shows. Authorities have ordered video streaming sites Youku and Sohu to remove four series from their libraries: The Big Bang Theory, The Good Wife, The Practice, and NCIS.
Without giving a reason for the bans, China’s State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT – formerly known as SARFT) issued an identical notice to several companies ordering them to "clean their website", a senior manager from an unnamed site told CBC News.
Out of the four shows, Youku, the largest video site in China, only offered The Good Wife, although the ban is likely to affect them in the long run, as the government's decision indicates a more widespread crackdown on inappropriate content. Their censorship has so far focused mainly on pornography and particularly violent content, giving unduly popular US sitcoms about a group of scientists a wide berth.
Some experts have proposed that the decision to ban the US TV shows is a bid to steer viewers back to the national broadcaster, which is considered a tool to mould the public's opinion.
Unlike state television and Chinese cinemas, the internet is a much freer place for the public to consume foreign television shows and movies, shaping the nation's pop culture. BBC's Sherlock is one of the most popular TV shows in the country, and episodes receive tens of millions of views from Chinese fans within their first week of being broadcast. The government has even announced plans to clamp down on slash fiction, much of which is written about Sherlock and Dr Watson.
[Image via CBS]
0 User Comments