Disgraced entertainers banned from CCTV’s annual Spring Festival Gala

China’s state broadcaster China Central Televison on Thursday banned artists who have criminal records or who are “morally flawed” from appearing in its flagship Spring Festival Gala in 2015.

Chinese media reports quoted the station’s director as saying that there would be no vulgar performances or low-brow programmes, and disgraced artists would not be allowed to take part in the mainland’s most-watched television show.

The five-hour extravaganza aired every Lunar New Year’s Eve, has become a media institution across the mainland since it was first launched in 1983. It is also a window for the public to speculate on which artists are in or out of favour this year.

In August, a similar ban was issued to artists who violated laws in an effort to “purify arts and entertainment circles”. The Beijing Trade Association for Performers signed an agreement with 42 agencies, asking them to promise that they wouldn’t hire artists who have been convicted on drugs charges, following a number of high profile celebrity drug abuse cases – including Jaycee Chan, son of Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan.

The ban was criticised by some internet users as a violation of China’s anti-drug laws, which prohibits discrimination against drug users while undergoing treatment in terms of their employment, education or social welfare.

While the list of disgraced artists is common knowledge, speculation has been rife about which stars CCTV may have been referring to when the director talked about “vulgar and low-brow style performances”.