In an effort to expedite the production process and prevent financial losses, Kuwait's Information Ministry announced adjustments to laws regarding the censorship of local television series on Sunday. Producers will now only be required to have one initial approval of their scripts before beginning production.
Under the old rules, producers had to seek approval from the ministry at every stage of the production process. According to Kuwait Times, those regulations cost production companies some 9 million Kuwaiti Dinar (nearly $30 million) in losses spread over 13 different television series because of delays and other factors related to the tedious process.
The loosening of TV censorship regulations comes after the Kuwaiti government debuted a new form of cinema censorship: airbrushing out provocative scenes, rather than just cutting the whole scene out.
The scene above, from Mad Max, definitely covers up some of the more delicate parts, but also makes the lady look something like a ghost. We guess it is better than cutting the scene all together?
The new Kuwaiti television regulations allow for changing scripts after approval so long as the adjustments do not "change the idea or subject and is not in conflict with the law and general morals or system," said Lulwa Al-Salem, assistant undersecretary for press and publication at the Information Ministry, according to Kuwait Times .
"It will simplify the work of media production companies, as this decree only demands previous approval for the production of TV dramas."
However, television series will still be reviewed by the ministry following broadcasting. "As a result of this new decree, the censorship by the ministry will be after the broadcast of a TV serial," Salam explained.
Although, it remains unclear what censorship following broadcasting entails exactly. No reruns? Cancellation half way through the series?
Regardless, the new regulations are expected to benefit the growing local production industry.
“During the past 15 years, production of local [television series] increased by 400 percent. And we hope that with the new decree, it will increase even more," Khalaf Al-Anezi, general-secretary of the Kuwaiti Union of Media Artists, told Kuwait Times .