CHINESE AUTHORITIES SHOUT BACK AT THE VOICE

NBC’s The Voice may be the network’s most popular non-sports program, watched weekly by more than 14 million viewers, but that’s only a fraction of what the Chinese version of the same program pulls weekly, according to a report by CBS News. The Chinese show, dubbed The Voice of China and produced by John de Mol’s Netherlands-based Talpa company with China’s Star Media, has managed to attract as many as 64 million viewers and is the most popular TV show in the country. But new government regulations are seeking to steer viewers away from such shows, which authorities say are in “low taste” and offer “excessive entertainment.” The State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television is moving to prevent other talent competitions, particularly those based on Western shows, from being broadcast, advising producers to avoid “extravagance, putting on dazzling packaging, and playing up sensational elements.” CBS News noted that one popular show, Super Girl, was canceled after government censors ruled that its “language, hairstyle, outfits and behavior needed to fit a Chinese aesthetic.”