Reuters AlertNet Lite - China nips and tucks transsexual TV

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China nips and tucks transsexual TV

24 Aug 2007 08:52:59 GMT
Source: Reuters

BEIJING, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Not content with banning "vulgar" reality TV shows, China's culture guardians have added transsexuals and plastic surgery patients to the burgeoning hit-list of proscribed content on the country's airways.

China's broadcasting watchdog, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), has outlawed shows featuring "public participation" in sex-change operations and plastic surgery.

"All levels of television broadcasters must not plan or produce sex change or plastic surgery programmes involving public participation (including news, specials or interviews), effective immediately," SARFT said in a notice posted on its Web site on Friday.

"(Such programmes) currently being screened or in production must stop at once," it added.

The order follows the axeing of controversial "Beautiful Makeover", a reality show produced by a TV station in China's southern province of Guangdong, showing scenes of plastic surgery operations.

China's broadcast watchdog has moved to crack down on the country's increasingly freewheeling TV broadcasters, urging them to imbue "socialist" values in their programming, instead of using "vulgarity" and "weirdness" in the pursuit of ratings.

Last week, SARFT pulled Chongqing TV's popular talent show "The First Heartthrob" from the air-waves, citing vulgar content among a raft of other transgressions.

"Happy Boys Voice", China's male-only take-off of U.S. talent show "American Idol", cut scenes involving contestants in tears, with wild hair or singing "unhealthy" songs in its first season to comply with the watchdog's demands.

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Last updated:Fri Aug 24 08:52:42 2007