Efforts to regulate TV channels yield results

The public now has easier access to television programs thanks to the strengthening of the management and operations of the TV channels and its services.

As of the end of June, 16,200 hotels in seven experimental cities — such as Beijing and Shanghai, have updated their software. About 2.52 million hotel rooms nationwide offered customers easier access to television services, the National Radio and Television Administration announced at a meeting held in Beijing on Monday.

The administration, together with several other central departments such as the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and State Administration for Market Regulation, started a State-level campaign of regulating television services from August last year.

A recent survey by the China Customers Association shows that 97.9 percent of surveyed hotel customers said it's easier to turn on and choose television channels so far.

The administration said that television channels run by the State and provinces can let their subscribers replay the programs for at least seven days and the service is free of charge. It encourages city-level television channels and news channels to offer the playback services for its customers.

The administration said that it will continue to tighten television services of hotels in following months to make sure 14 million hotel rooms nationwide offer easier TV programs access to the customers by the end of this year.

It will also channel greater efforts of developing remote controls that can be universally used and better integrating the TV set and set-top boxes to make sure the public get easier operation of watching TV programs.