(Photo: VCG)

The National Radio and Television Administration started a campaign on Sunday to rectify advertisement to create a sound radio and television environment.

Radio and television commercials with a negative social impact or vulgar content are listed as priorities in the campaign, according to a statement the administration released on its WeChat account on Sunday.

Misleading commercials, including those for investments and collections that exaggerate expectations of returns, as well as commercials for medications, health products and cosmetics in disguise of programs, are also included.

Commercials should also not be too long, the statement said. However, it did not detail the allowed length for commercials.

Radio and television stations should conduct self-checks and report to authorities by October 20. Authorities will also strengthen supervision and conduct inspections, according to the statement.

Commercials that violate the regulation will be rectified accordingly. In serious cases, the commercials or even the radio frequency and the television channel will be suspended, with their violations exposed to society, the statement said.

The campaign will cover every radio and television station, every frequency and channel and every broadcast and program in China, in order to protect the people's rightful interests and promote a sound development of radio and television, it said.