Domestic Drama Crisis Worsens

From being a glamour investment for the new rich between 1993 and 1997, producing drama series is now regarded as a sure way to lose your fortune.  

Estimates that up to two-thirds of all dramas will not receive a broadcast screening due to problems with (a combination of ) funding, technical, creative, editorial, post-production, marketing, distribution and legal matters were borne out at the Magnolia Awards at the recent Shanghai TV Festival which attracted just 125 entries from the whole country. 

Lack of enforceable regulations is also blame. According to official China TV Arts Committee statistics, just 499 TV plays were produced in the mainland in 1997. This contrasts with the total of nearly 8,000 TV dramas exhibited at 1998 China TV Programme Fair in Guangzhou. The total value of "initial sales" of  which reached RMB 186 million.  

With estimates of average production costs for a 20 episode drama running between RMB 1.5 and 3 million, the reports that two-thirds of all productions will fail to generate any commercial returns would mean incalculable losses.  

There are only 155 film and television advertising companies with production rights for film and television programs approved by the State Adminstration of Radio, Film and TV (SARFT) across the country. But according to the SARFT Information Centre, there are thousands of companies running production operations around the country.