Beijing – D’oh! China has banished Homer Simpson, Pokémon and Mickey Mouse from prime time.
Beginning Sept. 1, regulators have barred foreign cartoons from TV from 5 to 8 p.m. in an effort to protect China’s struggling animation studios, news reports said Sunday. The move allows the Monkey King and his Chinese pals to get the top TV viewing hours to themselves.
Foreign cartoons, especially from Japan, are hugely popular with China’s 250 million children, and the country’s own animation studios have struggled to compete. Communist leaders are said to be frustrated that so many cartoons are foreign-made, especially after efforts to build up Chinese animation studios.
The ban hasn’t been formally announced, but newspapers already were criticizing it Sunday as the wrong way to improve programming.
“This is a worrying, shortsighted policy and will not solve the fundamental problems in China’s cartoon industry,” the Southern Metropolis News said. “The viewing masses, whether adults or children, will have no choice but to passively support Chinese products.”
Chinese animators produce hundreds of hours of programs a year but aren’t known for flair or originality. They draw on traditional stories such as “Journey to the West,” about the adventures of the Monkey King, and have yet to invent characters to match the appeal of Mickey Mouse or Japanese icons such as Pokémon.
The cartoon campaign comes amid efforts by President Hu Jintao’s government to tighten control over other pop culture, from movies to magazines to websites.
TV stations have been told to limit foreign programming, stop showing scary movies in prime time and have their hosts dress more conservatively and use fewer English words on the air.
