China's National Radio and Television Administration introduces new regulations for cable TV services

Photo: VCG

China's National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) has recently released industry standards for broadcast television and online audio-visual services, according to domestic media reports on Monday. The notice, titled "Technical Requirements for Cable Television Services," mandates that cable TV terminals should offer two "boot mode" options: one to boot into full-screen live broadcast and the other to boot into an interactive homepage showcasing live channels. The default system setting is specified to be booting into full-screen live broadcast.

According to the notice, set-top boxes should not exceed a 35-second boot time. Cable TV operators are required to ensure that interfaces for live, time-shifting, replay, on-demand content, or any other cable TV services are simple, user-friendly, offer convenient and swift operation, and maintain high-quality program transmission.

The notice also establishes guidelines for the response time of program playback on internet TV terminals with a bandwidth of not less than 100Mbps. It stipulates that the response time, from clicking on a program to the appearance of the first frame, ideally should be less than two seconds and not exceed 3.5 seconds. The response time for operations such as program pause, play, fast forward, and rewind should be less than two seconds and not exceed 3.5 seconds. Additionally, the time for exiting program playback and returning to the pre-playback page should be less than one second.

"This new regulation establishes a normative standard for cable TV services, marked by clear guidance and enforceability. It has the potential to significantly streamline the user's TV boot page, eliminating excessive commercials and platform clutter, ultimately enhancing the user experience and viewing quality for paid cable TV subscribers," said Zhang Peng, a film researcher at Nanjing University's National Research Center of Cultural Industries, to the Global Times.

Furthermore, the Chinese government has undertaken diverse initiatives in the field of broadcasting and cable TV regulation, demonstrating a commitment to technological advancement, content control, and industry standardization.

The NRTA has released a document highlighting the promotion of high definition (HD) and ultra-high definition (UHD) television signals. The initiative includes the enhancement of cable TV media boxes to support these signals. Standard definition TV channels are set to be phased out by 2025, transitioning to broadcasting in HD and UHD starting from July 2022. This upgrade is geared towards enhancing the quality of broadcast content and aligning with global technological advancements.

Regarding the regulation of entertainment content, since 2022, the NRTA has persistently conducted the rectification of online micro dramas and intensified standardized management. Commencing in November 2022, the NRTA dedicated three months to organizing and implementing special rectification efforts for mini-program online micro dramas, yielding positive results. By February 28, over 25,300 micro dramas, comprising 1,365,004 episodes, featuring pornographic, vulgar, or violent content, were removed. Additionally, 2,420 mini-programs with content violating regulations were taken down. In the next phase, the NRTA plans to enhance management efforts and refine measures through various means.