Cinemas to be made more affordable in China
January 10th, 2012 - 9:47 am ICT by IANSBeijing, Jan 10 (IANS) China plans to make going to the cinema more affordable by fixing a maximum price for tickets and increasing half-price screenings, Xinhua reported Monday.
“The ticket price is still on the high side and cannot meet people’s expectations and demand for movies,” said Tong Gang, head of the movie bureau at the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), Monday.
According to the China Film Industry Report 2010-2011, the country’s average ticket price in 2010 stood at over $5, while the figure in the US was about $8.
In major Chinese cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, the ticket price for a blockbuster can surpass 100 yuan ($16).
According to Tong, the SARFT will issue a recommended pricing guideline for cinemas in 2012, set a maximum price and urge cinemas to increase half-price ticket deals.
It will also encourage supervision from other organisations and the public on violations in the cinema market, Tong said.
Tong added that the SARFT will issue warnings for cinemas that do not submit actual box office revenue and revoke licences for “serious” violators.
Latest figures show that box office earnings from China’s film industry in 2011 surpassed 12 billion yuan (around $2 billion).
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