BEIJING (Reuters) - China has banned commercials for feminine hygiene products and haemorrhoid ointments and other items deemed unappetising during meal times, according to local media.

The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) unveiled the restrictions as part of a regime of fresh controls on commercials in China's increasingly market-savvy, decentralised television industry, Xinhua news agency said.

"Television and radio broadcasters' advertisements should respect the customs of the masses...and are not allowed to air commercials likely to disgust audiences, for example medicines for haemorrhoids and athlete's foot, sanitary napkins and other hygiene products," the Beijing Times said.

From January 1, 2004, stations cannot allow commercials to exceed 20 percent of their total daily broadcast time or 15 percent of prime-time programming between 7.00 p.m. and 9.00 p.m. -- called the "golden" time slot in China. Advertisements can only interrupt episodes of drama serials once every 2.5 minutes, Xinhua said.

In 2000, a viewer in Xi'an sued a pay-cable television station for cutting excessively into a hugely popular soap opera to flash commercials. A local court awarded him 725 yuan.

Advertisers will also be banned from word-plays that corrupt the language to sell their products, Xinhua said.

Teachers have complained that punning commercials mislead young minds trying to hone Chinese characters. A recent commercial for cough medicine replaced the first character for a common expression meaning "demands immediate attention" with the word for "cough".

:nuts: Has anyone actually seen China commercials, not any chinese commercials here =P I don't know about China but here in Canada, I don't find anything sick or disgusting about any hygiene commercials... such as OXY or whatever about pimples and such... I don't really care and I eat in front of the TV all the time lol :D