TV programs should promote socialist core values: official
China's top media and television watchdog said Wednesday it will tighten regulations on reality shows and told producers not to solely rely on celebrities or promote opulence.
The State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) said in a statement that some television reality shows, despite their high ratings, lack valuable content and some even promote vulgar or wrong values.
It is necessary to improve the quality of TV programs and fulfill their educational role, the statement said.
The watchdog said reality shows should involve more ordinary people and leave out money-worship plots.
It said the production teams should use stories, characters and rules which inform people about socialist core values, instead of capitalizing on conflict or highlighting irrational behavior to attract viewers.
Reality shows like We are in love, I am a singer and Running Man are popular, and feature popular singers, actors and models.
In We are in love, celebrities are required to act as couples and live together. Choi Si-won, a Korean actor and Liu Wen, an Asian supermodel, caused a stir as they had given each other gifts worth more than 150,000 yuan ($24,159) in the program.
"The popularity of reality shows has prompted advertisers and sponsors to spend huge amounts of money on celebrities. Many producers want to get celebrities on their shows because it could lead to higher ratings. The quality of reality shows has suffered because most of the money is spent on the stars," Ying Xiaoqiang, a Hangzhou-based media analyst, told the Global Times.
The money-worshipping plots on some reality shows were designed to catch viewer attention, but it's not good to have celebrities give luxury items to each other, Ying said.
Zhuang Xihai, a former TV host and producer who teaches at the Southwest University of Broadcasting in Chongqing, told the Global Times that expensive cars, clothes and other gifts in the shows are just part of the plot and discerning people can tell whether a program is good. He said that it is hard to achieve high ratings if a reality show does not include celebrities.
Ying cited the success of The Voice of China, similar to the Dutch talent show The Voice, which features ordinary people. "High ratings can be generated without celebrities, and some production teams have proven this."
But Ying said the effects of SARFT's notice would only be temporary because it is not a law.
