Rolling Stone hits China wall
After a sell-out first issue, the Chinese edition of the iconic music magazine Rolling Stone has hit an obstacle. Chinese officials said yesterday the government had not approved the co-operation between Rolling Stone and its local publisher, Audiovisual World magazine, which launched the US title in China this month.
"This kind of co-operation must be registered according to regulatory rules . . . There are legal problems, so this co-operation has been halted," said an official of the Shanghai bureau of China's press and publications administration.
The setback for Rolling Stone, which sold out a 125,000-copy initial print run, highlights the legal and regulatory complexities surrounding foreign involvement in China's magazine sector.
It could also signal official disapproval of the magazine's association with rock 'n' roll lifestyles, in spite of its decision to tone down its content for China.
Beijing demands that ownership - and therefore final editorial control - remains in Chinese hands even for the blandest periodicals, forcing foreign publishers to work through joint ventures and contractual link-ups with local licence holders.
In spite of all-new content, the launch issue of Rolling Stone was technically just another edition of Audiovisual World, which retained its name on the cover - though overshadowed by Rolling Stone's famous English-language masthead.
Such arrangements are routine in the Chinese magazine sector, which in recent years has seen the launch of foreign titles ranging from female fashion showcase Vogue to "lads' mag" FHM.
One Media Group, Rolling Stone's regional licensee, declined to comment and Hao Fang, Rolling Stone's China editor-in-chief, said he was unaware of a problem.
However, a manager at Audiovisual World said the Chinese publication was still trying to complete approval procedures for the link-up. "We will change our April magazine and the Rolling Stone name will be taken down . . The content will be our own," the person said.
美国《滚石》杂志在华受阻
偶像级流行音乐杂志《滚石》(Rolling Stone)中文版，在首期发行告罄后遇到障碍。中国官员昨日称，政府尚未批准《滚石》与国内出版商《音像世界》(Audiovisual World)杂志的合作，后者于本月在国内推出这本美国杂志的中文版创刊号。
中国上海市新闻出版局一名官员表示：“此类合作必须按照有关管理规定进行注册……由于存在法律问题，暂时停止了这一合作。”
《滚石》此番受挫，突显外资涉足中国杂志行业所面临的复杂的法律及监管问题。据报道，《滚石》首批印刷的12.5万册已销售一空。
这可能也表明，中国官方不赞同《滚石》所反映的摇滚生活方式，尽管该杂志已决定针对中国市场提供温和的内容。
即使是最为温和的生活方式类期刊，中国政府也要求由中方掌握所有权及最终编辑权，迫使外国出版商通过合资企业或契约合作方式，与当地的“牌照持有者”合作。
尽管《滚石》中文版创刊号有着全新的内容，但从严格的意义上说，它像是《音像世界》的另一个版本，封面上也保留着《音像世界》的名号――不过这被《滚石》著名的英文刊头和显眼的相应中文名所遮掩。
这在中国杂志行业是常规做法。近年来，从女性时装展示杂志《Vogue服饰与美容》(Vogue)到《男人装》(“lads’ mag”FHM)的各种外国杂志，已相继在中国出版。
获得《滚石》当地授权的万华媒体(One Media Group)拒绝对此置评。而《滚石》中文版主编郝舫坚称，他不觉得有任何问题。郝舫表示：“我们完全依照计划，为下一期出版做准备。”
不过，《音像世界》一位经理表示，这份中文杂志仍在努力完成联合出版的审批程序。他表示：“我们会对4月份的杂志进行改动，滚石的名字将被撤掉……内容将是我们自己的。”他没有透露具体细节。
