BEIJING: China ordered broadcasters on Thursday to shun artists with "incorrect political positions" and "effeminate" styles, and said a patriotic atmosphere needed to be cultivated, widening a crackdown on its booming entertainment industry.
After years of runaway growth in the world's second largest economy, regulators have been to trying to strengthen control over Chinese society by tightening oversight over a broad swathe of industries ranging from technology to education and culture.
Communist Party authorities can censor anything they believe violates core socialist values and already have stringent rules on content ranging from video games to movies and music.
The latest moves reining in the entertainment industry come in the wake of a series of celebrity scandals involving tax evasion and sexual assault. Two government ministries, a party agency and an industry association published fresh guidelines on Thursday, with the Party's publicity department blasting some in the entertainment industry for their alleged bad influence on the young and for "severely polluting the social atmosphere".
Penalties should be increased for actors who have engaged in illegal or unethical behaviour, and agencies which condone such behaviours promptly punished, said the Party notice.
The ideological and moral education of children should be beefed up and they should be forbidden from joining activities of "idol" groups, the notice added, while party cadres at all levels should "deeply recognise" the importance of "moulding" future generations.
The NRTA, a ministry level body, said it will bolster regulation of stars' salaries and punish tax evaders. It also said it would weed out any content in cultural programmes that it deems unhealthy. Last week, China's internet regulator said it was taking action against what it described as a "chaotic" celebrity fan culture.
The selection of actors and guests should be carefully controlled, with political literacy and moral conduct included as criteria, NRTA said, adding that performers should be encouraged to participate in public welfare programmes and assume social responsibilities.
The notice further said that programmes portraying "effeminate" behaviour and other content deemed "warped" should be stopped, along with shows built around scandals, ostentatious wealth and "vulgar" internet celebrities.
Unhealthy fan culture should be deterred and strict controls placed on programmes with voting segments, it said, and any that encourage fans to spend money to vote should be forbidden.
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