China plans to create a unified media sector regulator

MUMBAI: The Chinese government plans to merge its press and broadcasting regulatory bodies to create a unified sector regulator that will oversee the country?s burgeoning press, publication, radio, film and television sectors.

The General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP) and the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) will be integrated into a single regulatory authority, according to a report delivered by State Councilor Ma Kai at the annual session of the national legislature.

The move is meant to coordinate the resources of each sector and promote the reform of cultural institutions, Ma said in his report on the plan for the institutional reform and functional transformation of the State Council, China?s cabinet.

The new administration will be responsible for promoting the development of these sectors and supervising related agencies and their businesses, said Ma, who is also secretary-general of the State Council.

It will also carry out the functions of the National Copyright Administration, a task that currently goes to the GAPP, Ma said.

The merger will be conducive to establishing a modern communication system, which is rapidly shaped by digital information technology, and boosting the country?s cultural influence, said a statement from the State Commission Office for Public Sector Reform.