SHANGHAI, June 22 -- TWO provincial-level TV channels have been ordered to suspend all commercials as punishment for repeatedly screening banned medical advertisements.

The two channels, run by Ningxia Television Station and Gansu Television Station, were ordered to suspend all commercials from Monday and "earnestly criticize their mistakes" in written reports, according to a notice issued by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television in Beijing.

It is the toughest punishment handed down by the SARFT since regulations were issued last August, banning advertisements for medicines, medical equipment, weight loss, breast enlargement and beauty products and treatments in TV shopping programs.

The administration said the two TV channels were discovered running the banned medical ads in June in TV shopping programs or inserting them between TV serials despite being warned and notified four times from February to May.

According to the regulations, a broadcaster that continues to air such advertisements after it has received three orders to desist over a 60-day period can be banned from running commercials.

The Ningxia TV channel ran commercials promoting a type of "magic" slimming product in TV shopping programs, but the administration did not mention the type of products the Gansu TV channel was advertising.

The administration said the two channels should not resume screening commercials until they undertake reforms - subject to administration approval - to ensure such violations did not recur.

The administration said it had informed all provincial-level radio, film and television authorities of the punishment. "All the radio and TV administrative departments and broadcasters should take warning and strictly follow the rules to avoid similar violations," it said.