A Beijing-based consultancy has confirmed rumors that a shutdown-order has been handed down to Tudou.com, the high-flying Shanghai-based video sharing site. The consultancy reports that a phone call to “relevant authorities” confirmed that an injunction had been issued, but did not confirm rumors that the shutdown was to take place immediately without giving Tudou a chance to rectify the situation–ostensibly, inadequate monitoring of pornographic and other proscribed video content.

This comes only days after Tudou and CCTV.com announced cooperation on Internet broadcast of Beijing Olympic events. SARFT allegedy issued the injunction on February 24, but this was not brought to the attention of CCTV.com head Wang Wenbin until the 26h–just a day before the planned announcement. Chinese press reports say that while the announcement went forward, Tudou founder and CEO Gary Wang Wei was prevented from speaking at the press event. The Tudou partnership has apparently been scrapped.

As of Friday, 4:39 Saturday March 8 at 10:50 AM Beijing time, the site was still accessible normally.

Other industry insiders have intimated to me that Tudou had been somewhat cavalier in pursuing compliance with the new SARFT/MII regulations on Internet audio and video broadcast, but when the date of implementation, January 31, passed without incident, and when SARFT clarified the regulations in a statement the following week suggesting that non-compliant sites would be given a period to resolve problems and restructure so as to be compliant and would be permitted to apply for a proper license, most industry insiders believed the worst was probably over. However, in conversations with highly-placed industry insiders earlier this week, this reporter was given strong indications that another shoe was yet to fall. Without mentioning Tudou.com by name, these insiders intimated that a “black list” was making the rounds and some form of punishment would be meted out.