Quick notes on the China publishing scene:

Olympic athletes may be able to read Playboy this summer:

All pornographic material is prohibited on the mainland but a temporary exception could be made for the Games, according to the biggest importer of foreign publications in the country. “Our law forbids Playboy and we should obey this, but we can’t rule out the possibility that it might make its debut. There might be a demand for it (from athletes or visitors) during the Games,” said Liang Jianrui, vice-president of China National Publications Import and Export Corporation, which will manage the nine magazine-selling kiosks sanctioned by Olympic organizers BOCOG during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. China Daily via ZonaEuropa

Forbes China may break with Ronnie Chan’s Morningside.

Forbes China (福布斯) is operated by the Morningside Group under a licensing arrangement with Forbes Media. Morningside is an investment company with extensive interests in the Mainland. It is owned by the Hang Lung Group, controlled by Hong Kong brothers Ronnie C. Chan and Gerald L. Chan. (Hang Lung’s major business is real estate.) Morningside has made profitable investments in Sohu.com and in outdoor advertising companies in China. They have also invested in Facebook clone Zhanzuo, and in a company called Health Media that puts digital screens bearing advertising in hospitals — Focus Media for the diseased and injured.

There is a rumor about that Forbes Media is not going to renew Morningside’s license agreement, which expires in June 2008. IDG, perhaps the most successful foreign investor in print media in China, is apparently going to bag either the license for both print and online, or just online initially (i.e. Forbes would keep Morningside on board for print but split the online off). The rumor could just be bluster, but apparently Steve Forbes and IDG head honcho Pat McGovern are old buddies. Via Danwei

Reader’s Digest enters the Chinese market this month:

A licensing agreement with the Shanghai Press and Publication Development Corporation brings the general-interest magazine to the mainland, where it is published under the name Puzhi (普知, “general knowledge”). The first issue hit stands in January (it’s actually a double issue that covers February as well). It opens with a brief history of the magazine, from its founding in 1922 up through the 50 editions in 21 languages that are published today. Via Danwei

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