CHINA’S TV ratings system has long been criticized, with industry insiders saying it lacks credibility and is driven largely by profits.

Zhang Zequn, a famed China Central Television host, notes that many TV stations have now been “kidnapped” by viewership and some have even “paid for high ratings in order to get advertisements.”

The TV ratings system was adopted in 1995, when provincial satellite TV channels began broadcasting across the country. Currently ratings are compiled by a supposedly independent firm called CSM Media, but Zhang said it’s neither scientific nor conforming with national conditions.

“The statistics are based on a sample of only 10,000 households,” he says. “The figures are not credible because the system still lacks transparency and openness.”

Since TV ratings help companies decide how to spend their advertising budgets, Zhang says that motivated by profits, the statistics have been contaminated as “some people even bought ratings.”

In search of bigger audiences, some domestic TV shows have become vulgar and superficial. Zhang is concerned that in the long run the phenomenon will bring about great cultural risks.

He also says the ratings system was introduced from the United States and Europe, but since the industry is different here, China can’t just rely on viewership to evaluate programs because they do not truly reflect the quality of the shows.

At a recent workshop on literary and art creation, well-known composer Xu Peidong also railed against the star-making shows that are among the highest-rated TV programs in the country.

Participants are seeking overnight fame in such shows while TV producers are pursuing quick profits; neither have shown respect for traditional Chinese culture, Xu says.

“To attract viewers, some singing reality shows even invited some pop idols who have little expertise in music to judge,” he adds.

In 2013, actress Zhang Ziyi was invited to be a judge on Hunan Satellite TV’s singing reality show “China’s Strongest Voice,” also known as “The X-Factor of China.”

It immediately sparked controversy. Well-known singers questioned Zhang’s music background since she has very little singing experience. Some implied her role was simply to be a “flower vase.”

Problems also exist in drama series, says CCTV host Zhang.

According to Shanghai’s annual industry forum on the production and broadcasting of TV series, China produced more than 400 TV dramas last year, but only a dozen are believed to be of “high artistry.”

Many of the series focus on “safe” subjects like spy thrillers, period dramas and family dramas because “it is easier for such productions to pass government regulators than those tackling realistic and sensitive topics,” according to insiders.

Lack of creative thinking

Wang Leiqing, director of Shanghai Media Group’s Film and TV Drama Center, says those “shallow” shows are often broadcast in October, when major TV stations host annual galas for advertisers.

“It is ruining the quality and creativity of our TV productions,” Wang says. “But so far the phenomenon still exists in a gray area.”

Experts note that diversity is the foundation of a healthy TV and film industry. But here it still lacks creative thinking. The ratings system is believed to be making the situation worse.

Celebrated TV anchor Cui Yongyuan describes TV ratings as the “root of all evil.” Cui once hosted the popular talk show “To Tell the Truth.” Over time, pressure over the show’s ratings led to him be diagnosed with clinical depression. The talk show was later discontinued because of a sharp drop in viewers.

Cui says ratings should never be the only criteria for judging a TV program.

“Public broadcasting media must take responsibility for the content they produce,” he says. “The younger generation can be easily influenced. Broadcasting vulgar shows just for profits isn’t the way forward.”

Still, TV producers feel pressure to generate good ratings and have begun to resort to reality competition shows featuring spectacular visual effects. They are also eager to purchase successful foreign TV formats or present Chinese remakes of popular foreign series to increase the chances of strong ratings. Thus, little time and money are spent developing original programs.

With a high degree of homogenization, some people are reluctant to switch on the TV, instead, they watch shows on their tablet, smartphone or computer.

“I have not watched TV for a long time,” says Zhou Bei, an administrative worker in her 30s. “I am tired of prime-time competitions, particularly during weekends. It’s the same kinds of programs on each satellite TV channel.”

Advertising revenues on video-sharing websites are also rapidly increasing. Last year online advertising revenues rose 40 percent to a record 154 billion yuan (US$24.7 billion). For the first time it surpassed TV advertising revenues, which totaled about 121 billion yuan, according to iResearch, a leading market research firm focusing on Internet industry.

Many TV producers and scriptwriters are now working for websites to create online series. This year, more than 600 online series are expected to be produced. Some will be shot with big budgets such as the “The Ghouls” and “The Graver Robbers’ Chronicles,” both adapted from popular online novels.

Insiders say a fair and scientific TV ratings system provides useful guidance for production and advertising. It can’t be totally scrapped or replaced in a short time, but it can be improved.

TV producer Tyce Li says it is important for the system to receive adequate legal support and supervision.

“We need laws to ensure all the statistics are gathered and analyzed by an independent company,” Li says. “And the surveys and statistics should be fragmented into various categories. It is not fair to compare a documentary with an entertainment reality show.”

Li cites the United States as an example, where TV shows and series with poor ratings will be cut short or canceled.

“It is a consensus reached by both TV stations and production companies,” he explains. “But in China, TV stations rely primarily on advertising revenues because most broadcasting platforms are not pay-channels. Fake figures can largely increase their advertising profits.”

However, professor Wu Gang, a TV expert from East China Normal University, says the TV ratings system is not entirely to blame.

“It should not be used as an excuse for the problems in the TV industry,” says Wu. “Motivated by quick profits, TV stations tend to resort to copycat programs.”

He urges producers to spend more time and energy developing their own original shows with distinctive Chinese flavors and elements rather than borrowing from abroad.