Producers fired over tactless quiz show

Three employees at state-owned China Central Television have been fired over a tactless quiz show involving the death toll in the Russian school siege.

State leaders reportedly ordered broadcasting authorities to investigate widespread public criticism of the program. Two producers and one editor were subsequently fired, the South China Morning Post reported Thursday.

The quiz show, aired Sept. 6, asked viewers to answer by mobile phone text message the question: How many people died in the Beslan siege• They had four choices from 302 to 402.

Russian and Chinese media criticized the show's producers as cold-blooded and ignorant.

Reports on Chinese websites Wednesday said CCTV had held self-criticism sessions after the show, and more staff might be sacked, the paper said.

© Copyright 2004 by United Press International