CCTV puts limits on medical, alcohol advertisements

Medical advertisements, including those for cosmetic surgery clinics, will be limited after 6pm from 1 January 2012 on the main CCTV-1 channel.

Other channels - financial channel CCTV-2, documentary channel CCTV-9, international channel CCTV-4 and the news, children's and foreign language channels will cease broadcasting these advertisements altogether.

CCTV's official notice explained that the move was taken "in view of audience feedback". Industry sources point out that the move will not significantly influence CCTV's revenues since, as a state-owned broadcaster, its stations have aired few medical-related ads in the past. 

In September, CCTV previously issued a similar directive to limit advertisements for alcoholic beverages. Also set to take effect next year, CCTV said only 12 TV slots will be available in future tenders for Chinese rice wine ("baijiu") manufacturers. Beyond those 12 slots, rice wine manufacturers will only be allowed to sponsor public service announcements but cannot include words such as "bottle" or "glass" in them.

Notably, in mid-August, CCTV criticised Baidu for allowing products from the weight loss and pharmaceutical industries to pass its advertising audit system too easily.