중국 온라인 동영상 서비스의 발전과 규제 정책 연구

Abstract

This paper examines the growth of China’s online video service during the late 1990s. It is aimed to consider what trajectories have been taken to reach the present situation, by the regulation of online video services by the Chinese government which compared to television has been relatively loose. The following trajectory has been taken to reach the current state of the market: the phase of market formation (late 1990s-2003) where online video services were first implemented in traditional media and portal sites following the change in market structure and government policy; the phase of market expansion (2004-2007) where the online video platform became an independent industry; the phase of market adjustment (2008-2011) where unauthorized sites are shut down one after the other and only a minority of platforms remain due to Mergers and Acquisitions; the phase of market maturity (2012-) where the platform was compressed into five large-sized videos and the production of material specifically created for the internet commenced. Online video services which have received comparatively less maintenance than broadcasting became subject to the same level of regulations as broadcasting since the issuance of “Notices on management of online audiovisual content” in 2015 and “Notices on creating, disseminating and strengthening Internet audio-visual content” in 2017. The change in the level of regulation was firstly to protect television services from being exposed to online video services and at the same time, to revive the declining broadcasting market. Secondly, it was to prevent confusion and mass unrest within the public caused by media reports, politics, and controversial social issued that were produced or parodied in online videos and exposed to the public. It is worth noting how online video platforms, which are faced with increasingly stricter government regulations, can improve the diversity and quality of content to attract more users.