China regulators denounce radio station for sexually explicit shows

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
HONG KONG - Chinese regulators have lashed out at a provincial radio station that allegedly continued to air sexually explicit shows, despite earlier sanctions under a campaign against obscene content in local media.

Guizhou Radio Station in southern China renamed a program banned for its sexual nature but kept broadcasting the offensive content, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, or SARFT, said in a statement on its website Wednesday.

The order, dated Tuesday, didn't give specifics but said the program "sensationalized sex life, sexual experiences, sexual organs and the impact of sexual-enhancement drugs."

SARFT ordered the show pulled and demanded provincial regulators investigate key officials at the Guizhou station.

It accused the broadcaster of "lacking social responsibility and professional standards."

Calls to the Guizhou station went unanswered.

The new order comes amid a new crackdown on indecent content.

Last month, SARFT accused a provincial TV station of offences similar to the Guizhou broadcaster.

Also in January, the government took the rare move of pulling an already censored movie from theatres during its release - because of concern about the spread of uncensored and more explicit versions of the film on the Internet.

Earlier this week, a Chinese Internet watchdog censured top search engine Baidu.com for allegedly helping spread photos that appear to show several Hong Kong stars performing sex acts or in sexually suggestive poses.

Chinese authorities also issued bans against sexually suggestive audio and video products. Regulators issued new warnings against pornography and restrictions on video-sharing websites, which are accused of containing pornography.

© The Canadian Press, 2008