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The swelling ranks of Chinese fans of streamed Hollywood TV shows, such as The Walking Dead and House of Cards, have expressed outrage at recently issued regulations requiring tighter censorship for all streaming video in China.

The broadcast watchdog, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT), said in a statement on its website last month that online companies would have to closely vet content before making it available to stream.

STORY:'House of Cards' Season 2 Skirts Censors for China Release Online

A survey on Sina Weibo found that 130,153 surveyed users of the micro-blogging service did not want censors to decide which Western television series they could watch.

We should be free to choose what we want to watch and experience multiple cultures, wrote one Weibo user.

Just 6,476 people backed new guidelines that require regulatory approval before Western series -- which now include Saturday Night Live, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and the Danish political drama Borgen --can appear on a Chinese online video website, with some arguing they were too open and could affect domestic culture.

In a report on the Xinhua government news agency, online companies such as Sohu ruled out the possibility that shows like The Walking Dead and Masters of Sex would be banned.

They insisted that many of the censorship rules were already in place, and said the statement on the government website merely reiterated the status quo.

STORY:China's Censors Clamp Down on Booming Internet Video Sector

"Although American TV series are strictly scrutinized in China, most of those currently available to the public have already been approved," a Sohu.com source told Xinhua.

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China's 'House of Cards' Fans Revolt Online Over Fears of More Censorship

Demonstrators take part in a mass "face-sitting protest" outside the Houses of Parliament in central London.

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London (CNN) -- Visitors to the Houses of Parliament on Friday may have seen more than they bargained for. Protesters against new rules limiting online pornography gathered to simulate some of the now-banned sex acts, including "face-sitting."

The campaigners aimed to highlight what they say are arbitrary and sexist changes to the law that don't distinguish between consensual and nonconsensual acts between adults.

But to spare onlookers' blushes (and a potential brush with the law), those taking part in what was dubbed the #PornProtest on Twitter remained fully clothed.

The new regulations, which came into force on December 1, ban various acts being depicted in online pornography produced in the United Kingdom, including face-sitting, female ejaculation and spanking, in part to protect children from being exposed to potentially harmful content.

However, they do not make it illegal for people to watch videos produced outside Britain or to perform the acts themselves.

One of the protest organizers is Charlotte Rose, winner of the UK sex worker of the year title in 2013 and a free-speech advocate.

She told CNN that the bill could be perceived as being sexist because the banning of certain acts appears to target women's sexual enjoyment.

"This is about censorship, and what the government is doing is they're censoring our consent -- so yes, it does affect women, but it also affects every man and every woman," she said. "It affects anybody who enjoys these particular activities."

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'Face-sitting' over porn censorship law

The Struggle for Media Control
The Struggle for Media Control Prizm Prime 2014 Ecstasy Records Released on: 2014-10-27 Producer: Dean Howard Daughters Composer: Dean Howard Daughters Lyricist: Dean Howard ...

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The Struggle for Media Control - Video

By RTT News, December 12, 2014, 06:04:00 PM EDT

(RTTNews.com) - Media General Inc ( MEG ) and LIN Media LLC ( LIN ) said Friday that they have received approval from the Federal Communications Commission for the business combination that they announced in March. The FCC also approved the transfer of control of certain broadcast stations in connection with the divestitures that the companies in August.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced its approval for the merger on October 30. Media General and LIN Media expect to close on the merger and associated divestitures on December 19.

Upon closing of the transaction, the combined company will retain the Media General name and remain headquartered in Richmond, VA. Shares of the new Media General will be listed on the NYSE and trade under the symbol MEG. LIN Media shares will cease trading and will no longer be listed on the NYSE.

Upon closing of the transaction, Media General will become one of the largest pure-play broadcast companies in the country with the largest and most diverse digital business.

The combined company will own, operate or service 71 stations across 48 markets, reaching 27.5 million or 23% of U.S. television households. In addition to the websites associated with each TV station, Media General's digital media portfolio will include LIN Digital, LIN Mobile, Dedicated Media, HYFN and Federated Media.

For comments and feedback: contact editorial@rttnews.com

http://www.rttnews.com

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Media General, LIN To Close On Merger On Dec. 19

Researchers found most of those in the study who had the hardware and know-how to use social media felt less isolated and had improved cognitive capacity. Photograph: PA

Training older people to use social media improves cognitive capacity, increases a sense of self-competence and could have a beneficial overall impact on mental health and physical well-being, according to a study carried out in the UK and Italy.

During the two-year project, 120 elderly and vulnerable people from two regions renowned for the longevity of its populace the south west of England and the Marche region of central Italy were given specially-designed computers, broadband connections and training in using e-mail, Skype, Facebook and other social media tools. A control group simply received their usual care.

Researchers found most of those who had the hardware and the know-how reported feeling less isolated because of the connections they could make with relatives, friends and people with shared interests. More surprisingly, they also found those who had begun to use social media performed better in tests to gauge cognitive capacity and personal identity. Some reported that they were mentally and physically healthier than before while, in general, those in the control group steadily declined.

Margaret Keohane, a 70-year-old mother of six and grandmother of 23 from Somerset, said she had been amazed by the transformation she had noticed in herself since she had begun to use social media as part of the study. Its brought fun into my life again. Its changed my life, she said. Everyone will tell you, Im a different person. Ive lost weight. My hair was grey. Its blonde again now. Ive started taking care of my appearance again. My life feels bigger now. I was slipping away into a slower pace of life. I feel invigorated.

Thomas Morton, of the University of Exeters psychology department, who led the Ages 2.0 project in the UK said: Human beings are social animals, and its no surprise that we tend to do better when we have the capacity to connect with others. But what can be surprising is just how important social connections are to cognitive and physical health.

Keohane has multiple sclerosis and uses a wheelchair. She lives in a flat in a complex run by Somerset Care and lost her husband, Mike, six years ago. Some members of her family live abroad. But now they are all floating there on my computer all the time, even my husband. I can give him a kiss when I want.

Her Facebook profile picture is a motto: Dream Big...Believe in Miracles. Her likes include the vintage television series Dixon of Dock Green and (possibly influenced by her grandchildren) the films Finding Nemo and Up. Among her friends are her son, Tim, who is living away in the Gulf region and dozens of younger relatives who are scattered around the UK.

The study found that around three quarters of those given the computers and training found e-mail and Skype useful. Actually, fewer less than a half found Facebook worthwhile. But Keohane finds its an excellent way of keeping watch over her younger relatives. My grandchildren are all over Facebook. I can keep an eye on them and tell them off when they do something I dont approve of.

The ageing population is one of the major challenges facing society. It is expected between 2010 and 2060, the number of people aged 65 and over across Europe will grow from 17% to almost 30% of the total population.

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Study finds social media use beneficial to overall health of elderly