TwoPowerfulChineseMedia.PDF

Two Powerful Chinese Media Regulators Merge In March 2013, the State Council announced the merger of two Chinese regulators: the General Administration of Press and Publication and the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television and created a mega-ministry, the General Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (GAPPRFT). The merger of the national press and broadcasting regulators is intended to boost the development of Chinese culture industries and increase their global influence. As Chinese media grows exponentially and shows its strength on the international scene, leading media partner Jeanette Chan and counsel Hans-Günther Herrmann from the Hong Kong office of US law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton Garrison and partner Glenn Su from the Beijing office of PRC firm Fangda Partners have joined forces to explain the implications of the regulators’ merger for industry participants. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MAIN DRIVER OF THIS INSTITUTIONAL REFORM? The merger of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (“SARFT”) and the Goals of merger ? Avoid overlap of General Administration of Press and Publication (“GAPP”) was part of a broader institutional SARFT and GAAP restructuring involving a number of other ministries and was also part of the systematic ? Streamline internet- cultural reform that began in 2003. More specifically, the merger of SARFT and GAPP was based media driven by the need to reduce overlap of responsibilities between the two regulators, trim red ? Aid competitiveness tape and streamline bureaucracy. For instan