Recovering deductions from outsourced idol casting An entertainment company executive was sentenced for accepting bribes from non-state workers

Source: Procuratorial Daily

Withdraw the buckle from outsourced idol casting

An entertainment executive was sentenced for accepting bribes from non-state workers

The general manager of an entertainment company took advantage of his position to outsource the company's casting services to a company he knew and collected kickbacks. On January 13, 2022, after a public prosecution initiated by the Shanghai Huangpu District Procuratorate, the court sentenced defendant Duan Mou to five months' detention, suspended for five months, and fined 50,000 yuan for accepting bribes from non-state workers.

In recent years, the idol economy has prevailed, many traffic idols are artist trainees, trainees have become the mainstream star-making model, all kinds of idol trainee talent shows emerge in an endless stream, and the popularity and attention remain high. The trainee cultivation model is committed to cultivating ordinary people into idols sought after by thousands of fans, among which the idol cultivation process will accumulate a large number of fans, which is an important foundation of the fan economy.

Duan once served as an executive in a well-known entertainment company in China, which was famous for cultivating idol practice and launched a number of top traffic idols. This experience made Duan very popular in the film and television entertainment industry. In 2018, Duan was excavated by the headhunting company and introduced to A Media Company. After preliminary contact, Duan learned that A Media Company is mainly engaged in film and television production, and has produced a number of explosive TV series. A Media Company is looking at the idol industry market, and at the same time, film and television production also needs actors, so it set up an entertainment subsidiary. Duan was thus hired as the general manager of the idol cultivation business department of the entertainment subsidiary.

Duan is fully responsible for the daily work of the idol cultivation division of the entertainment subsidiary, including: business cooperation with casting companies; selection, mining, training and management of artists; foreign business cooperation of artists, film and television drama shooting, negotiation of performing arts activities, signing contracts, planning, promotion and publicity activities and other related matters.

In the outsourcing project of casting services, Duan Mou moved his mind carefully and chose the B company where Chen Mou, who he knew before because of his work, was located.

In June 2018, the entertainment subsidiary signed an idol development casting service outsourcing contract with Company B, which stipulates that Company B must select at least 35 high-quality alternative trainees aged 16 to 22, with outstanding appearance, at least one talent, no criminal record or bad words and deeds for the entertainment subsidiary to sign every month. The entertainment subsidiary pays Company B 200,000 yuan per month for a period of 6 months.

In fact, as early as before the signing of the contract, Duan and Chen have reached a tacit understanding, if the business is successful, Chen will give Duan a 10% benefit fee according to the industry market. When the 200,000 yuan casting fee paid by the entertainment subsidiary every month arrives, Chen Mou, the head of Company B, will send 10% of the benefit fee, that is, 20,000 yuan, into Duan's account through Alipay. In addition to the entertainment subsidiary in the last month due to financial constraints and did not make the full amount of money, Duan received a total of 100,000 yuan in benefit fees for 5 months.

In November 2020, the entertainment subsidiary called the police, and the case occurred.