Asia

17 October 2006

Web TV lights foreign media's hopes for China

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's first foray into Web TV is a chance for foreign players like News Corp. to grab a slice of the world's second-largest Internet market, but winning official approval in a tightly-controlled market will be tough. Chinese regulations have so far limited foreign companies to small pockets of the country's satellite TV market. But firms are now eyeing Internet Protocol...

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12 October 2006

Journalism fellowship keeps Yahoo money despite criticism

A journalism fellowship at Stanford University will keep a $1 million grant from Yahoo Inc. despite criticism of the company’s decision to turn over information on journalists to Chinese authorities. The Yahoo money given to the John S. Knight Fellowship is slated to bring one journalist to campus each year for the next decade from countries where the news media is restricted. Some former Knight...

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19 September 2006

Chinese editors fired after 'unpatriotic' survey

Two senior editors at a Nasdaq-listed Chinese internet portal have been fired after an online survey revealed deep discontent among their fellow citizens. More than 65 per cent of Chinese respondents to the survey would choose to be born in another country if they could live their lives over again, the poll at Netease.com indicated. Chief news editor Tang Yan and chief commentary editor Liu...

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17 September 2006

China says Xinhua control a transitional arrangement

Pushed on the backfoot over its decision on new controls over the distribution of news, photographs and graphics by foreign news agencies, China has called it is only a "transitional arrangement" and a government department would eventually take over the responsibility. GIVEN A BAD NAME AND INCARCERATED: Protesters hold placards featuring a portrait of Straits Times correspondent Ching Cheong...

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15 September 2006

China: Newspaper draws line as cartoonist breaks taboo

A NEWSPAPER cartoonist has dared to defy a taboo on depictions of China’s leaders — and has had his wrist slapped. Kuang Biao, who works for the News Express in the southern city of Guangzhou, has been suspended for a month for his cartoon, which showed a weeping Hu Jintao, the Chinese President. Mr Kuang is allowed to continue to draw — but only under a pseudonym. He told The Times that he always...

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12 September 2006

Press groups criticise China curbs on foreign news

BEIJING, Sept 12 (Reuters) - International press groups denounced new Chinese curbs on the dissemination of foreign news as a step backwards ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, when thousands of journalists will descend on the country's capital. The official Xinhua news agency announced rules on Sunday requiring foreign media to seek its approval with immediate effect to distribute news, pictures...

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11 September 2006

China clamps down on foreign news agencies

China has announced new controls over the distribution of news, photographs and graphics by foreign news agencies, further restricting foreign access to the already tightly regulated Chinese media market. The new measures took effect immediately upon being issued by the government's Xinhua News Agency. WALLPAPER: A man reads a wall newspaper in Beijing. China has released new rules governing the...

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8 September 2006

Prostitution in Indonesia just a newspaper away

Jakarta - In Indonesia, newspaper readers who are tired of daily politics and endless domestic problems sometimes skip the headlines that makes them frown and turn to the classified advertisements. It is both shocking and amusing. 'Would you like a second honeymoon? Call me, Rosita, a sweet and aggressive woman, sexy, bra size 36C, able to cure premature ejaculation, great service, 250 thousand...

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7 September 2006

China shuts down outspoken Web site

BEIJING (Reuters) - China has shut down a Chinese magazine's outspoken Web site, apparently because of the reported killing of a villager trying to stop demolition of his home, the editor said on Thursday. The online edition of the Baixing (People) Magazine, based in the eastern coastal province of Jiangsu, was closed on Wednesday, editor Huang Liantian told Reuters. The Web site contained reports...

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5 September 2006

China to inspect newspaper circulation data

CHINA is planning to bring more honesty and transparency in reporting newspaper circulation data as it launches an inspection on the circulation figures in newspapers from 11 cities, Xinhua news agency reported. These cities include Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing and Chengdu, said a circular released ahead of the 2007 newspaper circulation season by the General Administration of...

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