China Cracks Down On Foreign TV & Film Programming

China is set to crackdown on foreign TV and film programming during primetime.

The country’s National Radio and Television Administration has published a draft of new rules that will limit foreign content to 30% of a channel’s full schedule and ban it completely between the hours of 7pm and 10pm.

The move is designed to crackdown on content that “deviates from socialist core values” as it looks to enforce the “protection of social stability”. It includes all types of programming including scripted, non-scripted, documentaries, feature films and animation. It will apply to traditional linear broadcasters as well as digital platforms.

The draft rules are up for public consultation until October 20, when they are expected to become law. It comes after the National Radio and Television Administration replaced the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT) in March and was put under the jurisdiction of the Chinese Communist Party rather than the State Council.

It is the latest crackdown in the country affecting entertainment. In July, the Chinese adaptation of Saturday Night Live was pulled from Chinese digital platform Youku.

Last month, Disney’s Christopher Robin was banned in China due to sensitivities between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Winnie The Pooh.