Video streaming site iQiyi -- China's equivalent of Netflix -- has cancelled plans for future talent contest shows saying they are "unhealthy", according to its CEO, as a government crackdown gathers pace on celebrity culture.
iQiyi is responsible for a number of smash-hit pop idol shows including "Youth With You" which was abruptly pulled in May after criticism from regulators about aspects of the programme. "We resist unreasonable salaries, unhealthy industry trends, tax evasion, and have also cancelled idol voting programmes for the next few years."
A Chinese boyband made up of primary school children disbanded shortly after their debut last Friday, their agency said, after their ages provoked uproar.