SARFT Issues Rules on Satellite Receiver Installation
DVBCN, 4/08/10
China's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) has issued the "Provisional Measures for Terrestrial Satellite Receiver Installation Services." The Measures stipulate that organizations applying to register as terrestrial satellite receiver equipment installation service providers must be state-owned or state-controlled legal entities whose legal representative, chief investors, and managers may not have been officially punished more than twice for any violations of terrestrial satellite equipment management regulations within the three years prior to the date of their application.
The Measures also stipulate that no beneficial relationships, other than the legal supplier-customer relationship, may exist between the manufacturers and the installers of satellite receiver equipment. Equipment repair network outlets may be set up through authorized third parties, through agents, or through partnerships, but equipment manufacturers may not set up their own outlets or hold stock in outlets.
Satellite receiver installers should be authorized by satellite programming content operators to undertake program landing and reception authorization operations.
Receiver installations for specially designated subscribers, including receivers of overseas programming and digital cinemas, are to be conducted by different organizations appointed by the State Council's departments in charge of audiovisual broadcast governance.
The Measures indicate that violations of the measures such as unauthorized installation of satellite receiver equipment will be punishable by confiscation of all offending equipment and tools by county-level or higher broadcast authorities, and fines of up to RMB 5,000 for individuals or RMB 50,000 for companies.
In cases where a conflict of interest in violation of the Measures exists between equipment installers and equipment manufacturers, county-level or higher broadcast authorities will be responsible for ordering the involved parties to cease illegal behavior, and may levy fines of up to RMB 30,000. In serious cases, the license-issuing authorities may revoke installers' licenses for satellite receiver installation services.
Keywords: television SARFT regulation satellite dish
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