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China’s broadcasting regulator to increase control over country’s booming short web drama market

  • The National Radio and Television Administration has proposed a range of measures to ‘strengthen and refine management’ of short web dramas
  • The regulator pulled more than 25,300 such shows from November last year through February because of violent, pornographic or vulgar content

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The National Radio and Television Administration will establish a content-screening system for short web dramas and extend its supervision to the distribution networks for these shows. Photo: Shutterstock
Ben Jiangin Beijing

China’s broadcasting regulator is looking to tighten control over the growing short web drama market – including a sweeping review of each series’ cast, production, marketing and social values – several months after more than 25,300 such online shows were pulled because of violent, pornographic or vulgar content.

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The National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) said it would take measures to “strengthen and refine management” of these short online dramas, according to a statement published on Wednesday via WeChat by the China Netcasting Services Association, a trade body under the regulator.

Under a range of proposed measures, the NRTA will establish a content-screening system for these short web dramas and extend its supervision to the distribution networks for these shows, including dedicated apps and short video platforms, according to the statement.

The NRTA also plans to conduct a month-long special action that will see it extensively review various areas of the short web drama market, including casting, production, storylines, marketing and distribution, and social value.

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How China censors the internet

How China censors the internet
The regulator’s latest initiative reinforces its control over all online shows on the mainland, more than a year after it implemented strict licensing rules in this field as part of the government’s effort to monitor, review and clean up content in the world’s biggest internet market.
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