Media watchdog to tighten TV ad rules

China's broadcast media regulator said it would draft stricter rules for television commercials in an effort to stop ads with inappropriate content from reaching the screen. Ren Qian, deputy director of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), told Xinhua the new regulations would focus on "design, image, taste and possible psychological impact on viewers." The announcement comes after SARFT banned a Nike TV ad, which it said was disrespectful to Chinese culture. Nike has since issued a public apology. Commenting on the incident, Ren said that with a growing number of ads produced by overseas agencies coming to Chinese TV screens, some had neglected cultural diversities between the East and West. He also singled out some domestically made ads, which he called tasteless and vulgar. He said some contained sexual innuendo which "cause public detestation [and] exert a negative impact on minors."