The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) has banned a television crime drama which reenacts real crimes committed by women.

SARFT said the series, "Red Question Mark", was detrimental to society. "The production is bad and vulgar as it focuses on and exaggerates the process of committing crimes, which leads to a negative social effect and brings shame on the image of the whole TV drama production industry," its circular said.

It also reminded local television stations not to broadcast crime-related television dramas with "vulgar content and poor quality".

SARFT has instituted a four-level censorship system for domestic television series which means every series must be vetted by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and by the SARFT. The stipulation took effect from February this year.

Last year, it imposed several restrictions on the reporting of "vicious crimes" on the radio and television, in efforts to create a healthy environment for the country's youth.

According to these regulations, reporting of cases that harm public security and instances of vicious crime such as kidnapping and arson are subject to strict controls. Detailed reports of detective work and investigations by the police are also banned along with detailed descriptions and analysis of criminal methods and motives.

The SARFT also banned foreign cartoons during prime time slots last September and cracked down on "vulgar reality shows" in January.

(Xinhua News Agency September 25, 2007)