The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT)
has undertaken to draft tighter rules for television commercials in
an effort to prevent ads with inappropriate content from being
broadcast.
"The SARFT will work out new regulations shortly to improve
examination of the content of TV commercials, concerning mainly
their design, image, taste and possible psychological impact on
viewers of varying age groups," Ren Qian, deputy director of the
administration, told Xinhua on Thursday.
A growing number of ads produced by overseas advertising
companies are now used on TV, and some can be culturally
insensitive or lead to misunderstanding, Ren said.
But he stressed that many domestic ads were tasteless and
vulgar, some even with excessive sexual innuendo that could "cause
public detestation" and "exert negative impact on minors."
The SARFT will widely solicit public opinion while drafting the
new regulations, which are expected to take effect in the first
quarter of next year, he said.
"We hope they will set clear criteria for both domestic and
overseas ad producers and effectively prevent the recurrence of
commercials like the 'Chamber of Fear,'" Ren said.
He was referring to the Nike TV commercial that portrayed US
basketball star LeBron James defeating an animated cartoon Kung Fu
master, two women in traditional Chinese attire and a pair of
dragons.
The administration said the commercial, which ran for more than
a month before being banned, violated norms mandating that "all ads
in China should uphold national dignity and interest and respect
the motherland's culture" and that "ads should not contain contents
that blaspheme national practices and cultures."
Nike, the multinational athletic shoe and sportswear giant,
issued an apology on Friday saying that they "by no means
disrespect Chinese culture."
(Xinhua News Agency December 10, 2004)