China‘s version of Pop Idol, Super Girl, has been suspended for one year by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT). Despite attracting up to 400m viewers at its peak, reports suggest some officials saw the show as subversive, with audience voting allegedly mirroring Western-style democracy. However, the order from SARFT to the show’s broadcaster, Hunan TV, reportedly stated that the programme had often exceeded its allotted time slot.
