China Sets Rules for Ad-Free Start-up and Direct Access to Live TV

Switch on the television, and the news should come on. That is the simple promise behind two new regulations China's broadcasting watchdog released recently, which ban start-up advertisements on cable and internet protocol television and require sets to open straight onto full-screen live channels.

The National Radio and Television Administration published the Regulations on the Management of Cable Radio and Television Operation Services and the Interim Regulations on the Management of Interactive Network Television Operation Services on October 27. Both take effect on November 27.

Under the rules, operators must follow a "live broadcast first" principle. A TV must go to full-screen live programming when it is switched on, offer an entry point for catch-up viewing of channels, and play no advertisements during start-up. Smart TV sets should support showing live channels first and give users an easy way to change that setting.

Viewers who prefer to land on an interactive home page instead can choose to, but those pages, including their navigation bars, status bars and recommendation slots, must meet the regulator's requirements.

The rules also take aim at the paywalls that many Chinese families complain about. Operators must set up a free zone on the home page that promotes quality free content, cut down the number of paid sections, and state program charges clearly. Payments and app sections are to be managed more strictly.

Operators are also told to shorten start-up times, simplify remote controls so a single button switches to the live signal, and make use of voice control, phone-based remotes and artificial intelligence to make TVs easier to use. Cable operators must set up a complaint system and respond to user complaints within 10 working days.

The regulations formalize a campaign the regulator began three years ago against what Chinese viewers call "matryoshka" charges, nested layers of paid packages, and against remote controls and menus too complex for older people to use. By the end of 2023, the regulator said, start-up ads on cable and IPTV had been removed and the longest start-up time had been cut from 118 seconds to no more than 35 seconds. Draft versions of the two regulations were released for public comment in early September.