Reports about celebrities' private lives have been dropped by China Central Television (CCTV), the state’s largest broadcaster, in a campaign against vulgarity on the screen.

CCTV, according to the Beijing Legal Evening News, has run a number of seminars this month involving various departments in order to take a close look at low-brow programs.

Entertainment programs are the focus and participants in the seminars are working on a mechanism to keep vulgar programs off the screen.

According to sources close to the seminars CCTV officials called on staff members to "optimize" cultural and entertainment reporting, improve investigative reporting and cultural review programs in order to boost "green audience ratings".

CCTV will, they said, stick to its vocation of "spreading advanced culture" and actively advocate mainstream values in line with the times.
 
(Xinhua News Agency December 19, 2006)