Censors take aim at US shows on Chinese streaming websites
Staff Reporter
2014-03-31
House of Cards, starring Kevin Spacey, has been popular in China but its themes of political skulduggery could make it a target for censorship. (Internet photo)
Popular American television shows could soon be banned from China's video streaming websites such as Youku Tudou, Baidu and Sohu as authorities look to strengthen censorship of audio-visual content on the internet, reports the Shandong-based Qingdao Daily.
From now on, internet companies will be required to employ government-approved censors to review content and obtain a censorship license, then monitor content before it is broadcast, according to a statement from China's State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television.
High-rating American and British TV shows streamed by Chinese websites have so far fallen outside of the country's regular censorship system as the websites had been allowed to monitor and censor the content internally.
The new regulations will pose new obstacles for western production companies which had relied on video streaming to enter the Chinese market. Investors and operators from the service companies who stream unapproved content will be issued warnings, with serious offenders being fined or suspended from the industry for up to five years.
The censorship licensing framework is believed to be aimed at a slate of American and British production over the last few years which are considered to be "pushing the boundaries" of depictions of sex and violence on screen, according to an industry source.
TV shows such as AMC zombie apocalypse series The Walking Dead and Showtime's sex research drama Masters of Sex have attracted large audiences in China through video streaming websites, though it is believed that the shows could soon be pulled for their content, which would not be permitted on regular cable channels.
The US-based TV Guide says other popular programs facing the axe in China include American Horror Story and Supernatural, while some analysts suggest that up to 80% of US cable shows could be at risk of being banned.
One industry source claims that Chinese internet companies have already slowed their purchases of Western programming. With the exception of light sitcoms such as 2 Broke Girls, which won't have any censorship issues, the companies are now turning their focus towards Korean and Japanese dramas instead to be on the safe side, the source added.
Analysts fear that the banning of these popular shows on legitimate streaming websites will only push audiences towards illegal downloading and pirated DVDs, which remains a widespread problem in China.
According to the Huffington Post, many production companies in the US are now starting to produce two difference versions of shows, one for the US and another for international markets where censorship could pose a problem.
