To hold the "Double Certificate" to participate in the Feitian Award, industry insiders explain in detail the process of applying for a network and TV distribution license for the episode. Who has a play in the online drama Feitian?

  On April 14, the State Administration of Radio and Television issued the "Notice of the General Office of the State Administration of Radio and Television on Organizing and Participating in the Appraisal Work of the 32nd Chinese TV Drama" Flying Award ". The notice stated that the scope of the current selection is: from October 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019, TV dramas broadcast on CCTV or all satellite TV channels, including those premiered on national key video sites. This is the first time that the award has included the TV series premiered on a national key video website into the selection range, but the premise is that the participating programs need to obtain domestic TV series distribution licenses and other relevant documents.

  In recent years, the Central Propaganda Department and the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television have strengthened the supervision of online dramas, repeatedly emphasizing the "uniform online and offline censorship standards", and the content of the online drama has gradually been refined. During this period, more and more TV dramas chose to "launch backstage", and it was not uncommon for pure-network homemade dramas to backfeed TV. However, after online dramas and TV dramas gradually merged, why are there still some online dramas that are not eligible for distribution on TV? Is the "TV series distribution license" emphasized by the Flying Awards a high threshold? What other online dramas can participate in the Feitian Award?

There are differences in the application process for TV dramas and online dramas

  All audiovisual works need to be reviewed first if they are to be broadcast. L, who has been engaged in distribution for many years, revealed that the first approval for filming a TV series is "recording." It can only be filmed after being filed with the relevant department. This part needs to apply for a "TV series production license."

  After the TV drama is filmed, the producer needs to go to the provincial bureau where the company is located for review, such as Beijing Radio and Television Bureau, Shanghai Radio and Television Bureau, etc. After the review is passed, you can get the "TV Drama Distribution License". If the relevant department considers that there are some problems in the content during the review, the drama side needs to modify it according to the opinions, and then reapply.

  According to the "Regulations on the Management of TV Drama Contents" issued by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, domestic dramas submitted for review should be submitted to the "Report for the Review of Domestic TV Dramas" (including production licenses, important materials such as the bureau's record and public announcements), effective certification of the production organization's qualifications, and the print of the repertoire. Application materials such as text, plot summary, and complete samples. "Our company's works are all based on the approval process of the 'TV series distribution license', because according to this, whether it is a TV station or an Internet platform, it can be." L said.

  The works that only need to be distributed on the pure network, although they need to be approved before release, are different in the process. Since the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television has repeatedly emphasized the unified online and offline standards, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television issued the "Notice of the General Office of the State Administration of Radio and Television on the Upgrade of the Information Recording System of Network Audiovisual Programs" in February 2019. Production agencies should register relevant information such as the planned broadcast platform, actual investment, and actor's remuneration in the filing system, and at the same time submit the program to the local provincial radio and television administrative department; The film is submitted to the General Administration. Programs that have been checked by the radio and television administration department will automatically obtain the online filing number generated by the filing system. It is reported that the current network audiovisual content is mainly managed by the network audiovisual program management department, and the pure network content only needs to obtain the network online record number from the competent department to be broadcast on the video website. According to the investigation by the Beijing News, most of the current online drama titles and endings are marked with a "record number", which is the so-called certificate for the distribution of online dramas. "The show itself is not suitable for webcasting or television broadcasting, but the management license is different." Su Jie, deputy director of Shenzhen Satellite TV, said in an interview with the Beijing News.

  It is reported that most of the episodes currently apply for "dual license" at the beginning of preparations, paving the way for network station linkage or follow-up. For example, most of iQiyi's self-made dramas will strive for the completion of two certificates at the time of release, which proves that the requirements of the satellite TV were considered in the production. Ni Na, producer of "Summer of the Fox" also said that the show was produced according to the TV series standard and obtained a double certificate, but it was only broadcast on the Internet at the beginning.

  But instead of getting a TV series distribution license, you can sit back and relax. J, a veteran TV drama distributor, revealed that before a TV series goes on stream, it will have to go through a "review" by the TV station and the General Administration. This is why some works that have been issued with a distribution license early on are still very bumpy.

  According to the "Regulations on the Management of TV Drama Contents", TV dramas that have obtained TV drama distribution licenses, the State Council's radio and television administration department may, in accordance with the needs of public interest, make orders to modify, stop broadcasting, or refrain from distribution or awards. The TV station should also conduct pre-broadcast review and re-broadcast review of the content that it broadcasts in accordance with the content review standards of these regulations. Relevant departments can also exercise macro-control over the total amount, scope, ratio, timing, time period, etc. of TV series broadcast on national television stations.

Comment on Feitian Award "Qing Yu Nian" and "Chen Qingling"

  1. The type of license application depends on the location of the play

  From the outside world's view, after the unified online and offline censorship standards for TV dramas and online dramas, applying for a TV drama distribution license is undoubtedly more cost-effective. However, J disclosed to the Beijing News that the producer's choice of license type also reflects its positioning of the play to a certain extent. Satellite TV has limited resources to purchase movies, and it is not as good as the video platform has a large amount of releasable inventory. Therefore, when buying movies, most of them will consider the preferences of TV audiences from the aspects of content, cast, and shooting quality. Realism, big productions, mainstream themes, etc. are all types of satellite TV preferences. But there is no shortage of small-cost, new faces, or works with a net-based content in the market, such as the youth drama "People are not tough", "Forget you, remember love"; the short drama "I am" "Yu Huanshui", "Oriental Wall Street" and interactive dramas "His Smile" and "Fist Quartet". Most of these works are tailor-made for young people, or a trial of the entry of a small film and television company, so it is more suitable for the pure network rather than the Taiwan network when it is released.

  "Like our company will think about it in the early stage of planning, whether it is a TV series or a TV network or a pure network. We take into account the audience and think that it is more suitable for online broadcast. "The drama is planned." J said that although the TV drama distribution license can serve two purposes, the clarification of the distribution method can allow the producer to have a clearer idea when preparing the work, which is more helpful for the shooting effect.

  2. Internet dramas can apply for TV drama licenses

  If the pure online drama is favored by the TV because of the word of mouth "out of the circle", can I apply for a TV drama distribution license? Industry insider Y said that it should be possible in terms of operation process, but the premise is that you need to obtain a TV drama record and TV drama production license. For example, the TV series "The Best of Us" premiered on iQiyi in April 2016, but it was only recorded in June 2016 under the new title "Meeting the Best of Us" for filming and production of the TV series, and on January 23, 2017 The TV drama distribution license was obtained on the day, and it was successfully launched in April 2018.

  3. It is too late to apply for the Feitian Award

  As far as the Flying Awards are concerned, J believes that if he had not obtained the permission to distribute TV dramas before, it is too late to "temporarily hold the Buddha's feet." The approval process for TV series is very strict, and each work has different approval time according to different situations. Some repertoires will be "passed in one go", and some repertoires can be successfully released after one revision, but there are many works that require multiple and large revisions for various reasons, and even works that have failed to pass many times have appeared.

  "The deadline for the initial online report of the Feitian Awards is May 25. It will be difficult to review in one month from the submission and review, in case there are revisions." Twenty-fourth in the "Regulations on TV Drama Content Management" The article also states that the radio, film and television administrative department of the people's government at or above the province, autonomous region, or municipality directly under the Central Government shall, within 50 days after receiving complete materials for examination and approval, make a permit or refuse to make a decision;

  Writer / Reporter Zhang He