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Banned satellite television channels remain on the air
By Shi Jing (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-03-16 09:11
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 WANG JING / CHINA DAILY
Satellite dishes installed illegally by homeowners are common at the Yuanyang Tiandi community. |
Some five-star hotels in Beijing are still broadcasting two overseas satellite TV channels that were banned earlier this year under new regulations launched by the local tourism administration.
The government drew up a list of 31 approved satellite TV channels in early January.
Horizon Channel and Sun TV were not listed among the 31 approved overseas satellite TV channels, but they are still available in many luxury hotels.
Staff at Shangri-La Hotel Beijing told METRO that Sun TV was still available in rooms.
But that was not the case at Jingguang Center Apartments Beijing where a manager said they no longer have the Horizon Channel on their program list and that it had been off the air for about a month.
A staff member told METRO no overseas channels were broadcast during the Two Sessions of the NPC and CPPCC.
A staff member at Beijing Hotel said guests can no longer get Horizon Channel or Sun TV in their rooms.
However, most hotels said they had not received a letter or email informing them that some channels were no longer allowed.
An official at the Beijing Tourism Administration, surnamed Ren, said they have made an announcement on their website and that should be enough.
"Why bother to do that?" Ren said. "The managers should always keep an eye on our website. We do not have the responsibility to inform them."
The new regulation will last throughout March, according to the Beijing Tourism Administration.
The regulation stipulates that approved overseas programming can only be seen in hotels with a higher rating than two stars and in residences for people from overseas, after the locations have gained official approval. Setting up a satellite dish without approval from the Beijing Administration of Radio Film and Television is also said to be illegal, according to an official from the local cultural market law enforcement brigade.
The industrial and commercial administrative department and the police have been making concerted efforts together to limit unauthorized TV viewing and the number of cases they have investigated and dealt with has hit a record high.
Across 15 provinces and municipalities taking part in the action, 17,910 sets of illegally sold satellite reception facilities were tracked down and another 28,600 sets were removed from where they had been illegally installed.
