Beijing: China has banned companies illegally broadcasting TV programmes, including news content, on the Internet.
China's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), the media watchdog issued a circular in this regard on Wednesday.
The SARFT circular prohibits cooperation between SARFT-affiliated institutions and "online TV stations" that have been broadcasting TV programmes including news programmes without legal permission, using names such as China international economic TV (ccnettv.com), and China network TV (cntv.net.cn).
Some of the illegal "online TV stations" even forge government permissions to recruit reporters, set up branch stations, and profit from advertising revenue.
According to China's Regulations on the Management of TV and Radio Stations, TV and radio stations can only be established by government departments and government affiliated radio and TV groups.
China's Management Measures for Transmitting A/V Programme over Internet and Other Information Networks, which took effect in October 2004, also stipulate that online broadcasters of audio and video programmes must obtain permission from SARFT before broadcasting.
Online programme broadcasters are not authorised to make their own programmes.
Broadcasters in violation of the regulation could be fined $3,750 (US dollars) and even prosecuted.
Official statistics show that China's netizens reached 123 million by the end of the first half of this year, and 18.3 million were under the age of 18, accounting for 14.9 per cent of the total.
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