After running without commercials for a year, Chongqing Satellite TV has recently broken the ban with a liquor advertisement being broadcast on the evening of March 15. However, commercial-free TV remains a controversial issue in China.

Chongqing Satellite TV begun to ban commercial advertisements on March 1, 2011.

Fang Ming, an announcer on China National Radio, suggested at the NPC this year that CCTV1 as well as other major channels nationwide should consider public broadcasting and abolishing commercials. This has generated much buzz in the Chinese community, triggering discussions about what benefits commercials bring.

"I think ads should still be shown, as long as the TV station has its busi¬ness ventures. But time allocated to the ads should not be long," said Chang Rui, a saleswoman in Chongqing.

Nowadays, as the economy is growing, more and more advertisements are flooding the screen. There are increasing complaints that too many advertisements are taking up the air time.

Some are weary of this development, hoping that public service channels and regulated shows will eliminate the fodder that saturates TV channels today.

Aptly described by its name, public broadcasting means that TV stations do not survive on advertisements fees but are supported by the government, with the intention of providing audiences with quality programs.

Public broadcasting also uses airtime to broadcast public service announcements and promotional films.

Internationally, public broadcasting is not a new concept. BBC1 in the United Kingdom and NHK in Japan are well-known examples.

Media disapproval

Sima Tong, a journalist from the Shenyang Evening News finds the elimination of advertisements on TV unnecessary.

Whether a program appeals to an ordinary audience or not depends on the quality and social responsibility of it, rather than the ads. "The question should be how to control the advertisements currently shown, rather than completely annihilating them," said Sima.

After attending last year's NPC,

Cui Yongyuan, a renowned CCTV anchor, joked that as a station, they would actually receive more money by removing commercials, if the programs have to be supported monetarily by audiences.

Those in the industry seem to agree that no drastic changes should be implemented, and that CCTV and other major TV channels can use this as a starting point, in controlling the amount and quality of ads shown.

'Fang Ming's suggestion to promote public channels has provoked the public's thoughts on what this entails and whether the content is credible, informative and interesting. Otherwise, it will not win over the mass audience," said Han Yuhong, a researcher from Henan Academy of Social Sciences.

Netizens voice out

Many netizens voiced their opinion that CCTV should spearhead the movement to end commercials on public channels.

However, opponents believe that ending commercials is counterintuitive in the current market economy. Commercials are the primary source of profit and have an ability to reach out directly to the majority of consumers.

Some suggest that the question should focus more on how to regulate the broadcasting of commercials as opposed to banning them altogether.

After a year without commercials, the audience rating of Chongqing Satellite TV has slipped from 4th place to 23rd place in 2011. It claimed that no changes will be made for the time being.

How to direct the future of successful public broadcasting in China is still under construction.