Economy

188 newspapers exit market in 2009 restructuring

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-04-08 00:18

SHENYANG - A senior Chinese publication official said Wednesday 188 domestic newspapers and periodicals exited from the market in 2009, as authorities' stepped up efforts to optimize the structure of the media industry.

Liu Binjie, director of the General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP), said some of the newspapers and periodicals had been acquired by larger media groups or newspaper organizations, while some had been reshuffled and others ceased publication.

At a meeting for newspapers and periodicals, Liu urged authorities to be "determined" in halting the publication of newspapers and periodicals that are unclearly oriented, unpopular or unprofitable.

He also urged authorities to revoke the publication licenses of newspapers and periodicals which had seriously violated laws and regulations.

Their exit from the market, together with merger and acquisition, will optimize the structure of the newspaper and publication industry, as well as raise newspapers' and publications' capacity to embrace market competition, according to the official.

China had 1,943 newspapers and 9,821 periodicals in 2008, GAPP statistics show.