China's media watchdogs have launched a crackdown on interactive
television, radio, and Internet programs that raise money from
their audiences through scams.
The Ministry of Information Industry (MII) said the campaign
would focus on eliminating programs such as fortune telling,
horoscopes, and gambling that lure participants into costly
interactive services.
Interactive services, like text messaging, have become cash cows
for many Chinese media organizations.
The authorities have received many public complaints of services
such as "live" programs that have actually been prerecorded, so
that when viewers ring expensive competition lines, machines answer
the calls.
Some programs are genuinely live, but employ other tricks, such
as a lengthy introduction to the service and fictitious winners to
prolong call times.
The MII has ordered telecommunication operators to survey firms
that provide "value-added" services such as text messaging and
teleconferencing services, and report to the ministry by August
31st, after which the MII will carry out random investigations.
Although the MII circular details no penalties for operators if
they miss the deadline, the sector is under pressure. "The MII move
will affect about 30 percent of our business," said one industry
insider.
Professor Kan Kaili, of the Economics and Management School of
Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, said, "Telecom
operators play a key role in this campaign as the money charged in
these programs flows through them, and if they stop charging
consumers for these services, the income sources of the services
are stopped.”
The State Administration of Radio and Television has released
more than ten similar regulations since 2006, but they have had
little effect.
"We have only six national telecom operators, but they profit
from these services and they may not follow the MII's
instructions," he added.
(Xinhua News Agency August 10, 2007)