China to Require Censoring Personnel for Internet Video Providers

On June 10, Beijing city’s local newspaper, Jinghua Times (京华时报), reported that the State Council Legislative Affairs Office called for public comment on the "Administrative Approaches to the Dissemination of Audio-visual Programs via the Internet or Other Information Networks (revised draft)" (hereinafter referred to as the "draft"). According to the draft, Internet video broadcasters should be staffed with professionals who review the program contents. If broadcasters do not do so, they should be given a warning for correction and subject to a fine up to 30,000 yuan ($US 4,834). In addition, the current affairs audio-visual news programs that the Internet service providers broadcast should be those programs that regional or city level radio stations or TV stations already produced and broadcast. This means that homemade current affairs news programs are to be banned from the Internet.