Chinese television host suspended after criticising Mao Zedong
PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 08 April, 2015, 11:48pm
UPDATED : Thursday, 09 April, 2015, 12:11am
Mimi Lau in Guangzhou [email protected]
Chinese TV host Bi Fujian.
Popular mainland Chinese television host Bi Fujian has been suspended from air for fours days after a video taken at a private gathering was leaked showing him telling jokes criticising Mao Zedong.
"[China Central TV] will investigate and handle Bi's [case] seriously, because as a CCTV host, Bi's comments in the online video clip have sparked a serious public response," said a message posted on CCTV's weibo account yesterday.
The leaked video and the news of his four-day suspension dominated discussion on mainland social media platforms yesterday and also led to a commentary by the Global Times.
The West China Metropolis Daily said his suspension began after midnight yesterday.
Citing an internal source from CCTV, it said Bi's comments had severely harmed the station's public image and the decision to suspend him had been taken by senior management.
While Bi is suspended, no programme he hosts will be aired.
The move came after Nie Chenxi - known for his hardline approach - became president of CCTV on Tuesday morning, the report said.
A video leaked on Monday showed Bi singing Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy - one of the Eight Revolutionary Operas produced during the Cultural Revolution, at a private banquet with friends.
In the 76-second video, Bi was heard making a satirical comment, including a brief line saying that Mao had given the people a tough time.
The Global Times published a commentary urging celebrities to take care when making comments, and also criticised the posting of Bi's private opinions without consent.
A CCTV employee told the West China Metropolis Daily that senior managers ordered Bi's suspension at a crisis meeting held on Tuesday afternoon.
Bi, 56 - widely known as Bi Laoye, or "Grandpa Bi" - is known as a talent-show host, but is also a CCTV producer and director. His show, Avenue of Stars, has been on air since 2004.
