The AngryChineseBlogger wrote in his blog:
When you get down to it, running a Chinese television network isn’t exactly the easiest job in the world. Firstly, you have to dodge around Beijing’s infamous “Grey List” of topics that either cannot be discussed, or which can only which can only be discussed in a manner approved by the state. Making it difficult to produce hard hitting programs about history, politics or current affairs.
Next, you have to work within the guidelines set China’s fickle ministry of culture, which seem to change by the hour as the ministry defines and redefines what it considers to be “healthy viewing”. Making it difficult to connect with the lucrative youth market, and all but impossible to come up with an original idea. Yesterday spiked hair was out, today popular terms drawn from local dialects are out, who knows what will be out tomorrow. Maybe it the color green, or the number 9? Even after all of that, there’s more. VCDs and DVDs are so cheap and available that nobody bothers to tunes in to see into see the next episode of their favorite soap, or the latest movie any more, they just buy them for a couple of dollars, weeks before you can screen them. [Full Text]
