Walter Hutchens’ Blog

I once wrote in an aside to an article that the essence of Chinese law might be expressed as 未经批准不可 (weijing pizhun buke, or, “you can do nothing without [govt.] approval.”

Of course that’s an exaggeration. Not everything requires government approval in China. Just a staggering number of things.

Today I came across a fresh and striking example in a new regulation about live broadcasts. The regulation declares that it is illegal in China to broadcast “major events” live without prior approval from the State Administration of Radio, Film and TV. This prohibition applies “especially” to major events “attended by comrades from the central leadership.”

The provision appears in a SARFT Notice titled 广电总局关于切实做好广播电视现场直播报道管理的通知 dated September 10 (but that only appeared in a common PRC legal database about 10 days ago). The specific provision reads:

一、各级广播电视机构的重大活动大型现场直播报道，特别是对有中央领导同志出席的活动进行现场直播报道，必须报国家广电总局批准。