China bans local media from overseas cooperation

BEIJING - China has moved for the second time this year to limit outside involvement in its electronic media, banning city and provincial broadcasters from even cooperating with foreign firms.

One Chinese television company, Qinghai TV, said such regulations had caused it to cancel plans to work with Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, the China News Service and the People's Daily Online reported.

"Radio and television stations may not rent channels to foreign organisations (and) may not co-operate in funding and operating radio and television channels with foreign organisations," the regulations published on the website of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television said.

The regulations, which did not apply to central media, also said foreign organisations could not co-operate with local broadcasters on programming, including live shows.

In March the administration banned foreign companies from participating in the operations of China's television and radio stations, but they were still permitted to co-operate in programming.

The new regulations also appear to backtrack from rules announced last year that allowed foreign media companies to take minority stakes in television production ventures.

Western media firms have been trying for years to gain access to the China's media market, which is huge but fragmented and locally protected.

- REUTERS