MCLC: backstory behind ban of US TV shows

[Denton, Kirk]

MCLC LIST
From: kirk (denton.2 at osu.edu)
Subject: backstory behind ban of US TV shows
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Source: China Real Time blog, WSJ (5/19/14):
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2014/05/19/after-big-bang-theory-censors
hip-no-mass-viewer-revolt/

After ‘Big Bang Theory’ Censorship, No Mass Viewer Revolt
By Ying Zhu

When Chinese censors abruptly pulled the plug on four U.S. TV shows from
websites in China in late April, the move left China watchers scratching
their heads.

After all, the banned TV shows included “The Big Bang Theory,” “The Good
Wife,” “NCIS” and “The Practice” — all of which pale in their depictions
of violence, sex and/or political scandal when compared to other foreign
shows that can still be streamed online in China. “House of Cards,” for
example, is by far the most transgressive when it comes to violence and
scandal, yet it’s so far evaded the honor of being banned.

But for those who’ve been following the moves of China’s censors more
closely, the ban shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Here’s the backstory. In March, the State Administration of Press,
Publication, Radio, Film and Television reissued two internet content
regulation notices that the SARFT had previously rolled out, which
together aimed to root out excessive violence and sex from shows and
required more pre-approval for programming. Though the online content
guidelines were mostly targeted at domestic programming, Chinese social
media users quickly began voicing concerns that their access to U.S. shows
might be next to be jeopardized.

Such backlash was clear in an online poll conducted by Sina in March in
which more than 130,000 respondents — or 95% of those polled — voted
against banning U.S. TV dramas, which prompted the government to
explicitly say that the regulations would not apply to foreign programs.

The regulator’s inaction on foreign exports agitated domestic content
providers, who appealed to censors for fair treatment so that they’d be
able to compete with foreign producers on an equal footing. And in April,
Chinese president Xi Jinping launched a campaign to rid Internet of porn,
rumors and other unruly contents, which soon saw the ban of four U.S.
Dramas.

In response to the ban, Chinese viewers took to social media to openly
mock and ridicule censors. The outpouring of disbelief and outrage
recalled another incident three year ago, when censors removed Avatar from
China’s 2D theaters to make room for China’s heavily promoted domestic
film, Confucius. At the time, Chinese fans rose to Hollywood’s defense,
publicly snubbing Confucius. They had a key ally on their side during that
episode: the market. Many theaters driven by bottom line, in fact, simply
ignored the government’s order to remove Avatar. The government eventually
backed down, restoring Avatar to more screens.

But this year, it doesn’t look like any such victory is forthcoming. The
reason is simple economics. Chinese local producers want to keep a lion’s
share of the massive domestic online content market, and they want to
cultivate their own fans instead of siding with the fans of US or UK
shows. Though such shows may be popular, they are preferred not by the
masses, but but by sophisticated urban elites who are wealthier,
better-educated and pride themselves on having cultivated a taste for
quality Western programs, as opposed to the East Asia pop culture devoured
by what the elites see as viewers with less discerning tastes. And of
course for elites, Chinese domestic TV dramas are further down the food
chain still. Social snobbery is the very fabric of the global elite, which
ascending members of China’s elite society yearn to be a part of.

Foreign TV shows are also a threat to state-owned broadcasters, who have
seen new media undermine both their political control and revenue streams.
So perhaps it isn’t surprising that since March, authorities have required
that U.S. and U.K. shows obtain approval from censors before they are
posted on video streaming sites. In the meantime, a sanitized version of
“The Big Bang Theory” is scheduled to run on China Central Television, the
state-run TV network with close financial ties to the country’s censors.
So the battle is on the home turf, between the relatively freewheeling new
media and the tightly controlled broadcast media, both vying for
preferential policies from the state, which will inevitably lead them to
more capitulation and further self-censorship.

The only thing that might change the equation is, perhaps, Chinese
viewers. But let’s not fool ourselves about the motivations of those
protesting the ban on the four U.S. shows. The backlash is more about a
desire to connect with cutting-edge global trends than it is an effort to,
say, demand more political openness within China. The motivation is
similar to wanting access to French wine and cheeses, Italian fashion and
German cars — access to such goods brings about instant consumer
gratification.
The moaning and mourning of the loss of instant access to a few U.S. TV
dramas for Chinese viewers might seem like a trivial matter. But for the
Communist Party, the rise of millions of active viewers in defense of
their consumer rights may pose a serious challenge.

Ying Zhu is professor of media culture at the City University of New York
and an expert on Chinese media & society
<http://www.chinafile.com/contributor/Ying%20Zhu>.