SARFT Increases Requirement for Modern TV Dramas
Netease, 12/12/11
China's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) has issued its Opinion on TV Drama Broadcast Management at the Provincial Level, which requires provincial satellite TV stations to increase the number of TV dramas with a modern setting as a proportion of total TV dramas to at least 40% by 2013. The regulations also strictly prohibit TV dramas involving characters who travel through time to visit the historical past during primetime hours.
The regulations have five components: first, the 40% minimum quota for modern-day dramas; second, a ban on all TV dramas that depict false historical events, such as time travelers; third, SARFT re-emphasized its limits on entertainment content during primetime hours; fourth, police dramas remain strictly regulated, but can depict the personal lives of police officers; fifth, by 2013, 15% of broadcast content should contain subject matter relevant to children, rural viewers, and ethnic minorities.
Keywords: content television SARFT TV Drama satellite TV regulation