China bans
"pornographic" radio shows

Chinese authorities said two late-night radio shows that discussed sex and drugs have been banned for damaging young people and being ''extremely pornographic.''

The latest order from China's broadcast watchdog follows a ban on television shows about cosmetic surgery and sex changes, and the shutdown of a talent show that regulators deemed coarse.

The stations, both in the southwestern province of Sichuan, ''aired programs about sex and drugs for two to three hours after 9 p.m. every day,'' the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television said on its Web site Wednesday.

''The programs contained extremely pornographic material, caused great harm to the psychological development of young people, fouled the social air, and damaged the reputation of China's broadcasting institutions,'' the administration said.

The two stations were ordered to suspend the shows immediately and punish the producers.

The broadcast watchdog statement did not include the titles of the shows. Late-night call-in programs featuring sexually explicit conversations and ads for sexual enhancement drugs are common.

Most are advice shows that help callers with issues such as sexual performance or sexually transmitted diseases. They are tame compared to programs in the United States, and callers generally do not go into explicit detail.

The administration said its ban covered all programs that ''flout the code of ethics, violate science and civilization, or feature sexual content.''

The ban aimed to create "a harmonious cultural environment for the youth,'' it said.

Calls to the stations, Sichuan People's Broadcasting and Chengdu People's Broadcasting, went unanswered Thursday.

The administration last month also banned a talent show, The First Time I Was Touched, calling it vulgar and lacking in artistic standards. (AP)