Rachel Hou/Shanghai Daily news

In a bid to protect the Chinese TV industry, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) plans to reduce the number of South Korean TV dramas that can be legally introduced and broadcast by domestic TV stations in 2006, today's Youth Daily reported.
According to SARFT officials, the new import quota for the dramas, which is yet to be decided, will be announced at the beginning of next year.
Qin Mingxin，director of the international department of CCTV's Entertainment Program Center, responded cautiously about the report yesterday. "Although I have read the report on the Internet, I haven't received official notification from SARFT," he said.
Some regional television networks fear they will suffer heavy loss of revenue if they are forced to air fewer of South Korean TV dramas, proven money-spinners which have brought them huge profits this year.
SARFT is responsible for the setting of import quotas for foreign TV dramas. Although the import quota for those from South Korean was increased to 800 episodes this year, it has already been used up after fierce competition for vewers among domestic TV stations. While China Central Television (CCTV) has the privilege of receiving a large share of the quota, regional television networks are allowed to import 20 episodes annually.
Hunan Satellite Television will not import new South Korean dramas in 2006 because the station exceeded its quota limit this year, according to a vice-director of the network. The TV station shot to fame this year when it bought the broadcast rights to "Dae Jang Geum" for US$10,000 per episode. This drove-up the average price of the broadcast rights of the dramas, which has soared by a factor of eight. However, this has not dampened domestic TV stations' enthusiasm for the coveted dramas.