The site has been down for a week and a half, and earlier this week it published a notice blaming maintenance work for the disruption and apologising to users.
The shutdown is widely assumed to be part of an investigation into the site’s content by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (Sarft). “It’s clearly serious as it has been down for so long,” said one person close to the company. Jay Chang (pictured), president of 56.com, declined to comment beyond the notice on the website.
The danger for 56.com is that the extended blackout could harm its standing both with users and advertisers.
However, Victor Koo, CEO of rival online video site Youku, argued that closer regulation of content would be a good thing for the industry in the long run. “The fact that there are some guidelines is a good thing,” he said. “It will reassure advertisers.”
56.com blames maintenance issues for shutdown
CHINA - Chinese online video site 56.com remains offline in what one industry insider claims is an "unprecedented" investigation by authorities.
