Goto Section: 15.119 | 15.121 | Table of Contents
FCC 15.120
Revised as of October 2, 2015
Goto Year:2014 |
2016
§ 15.120 Program blocking technology requirements for television receivers.
(a) Effective July 1, 1999, manufacturers of television broadcast receivers
as defined in section 15.3(w) of this chapter, including personal computer
systems meeting that definition, must ensure that one-half of their product
models with picture screens 33 cm (13 in) or larger in diameter shipped in
interstate commerce or manufactured in the United States comply with the
provisions of paragraphs (c), (d), and (e) of this section.
Note: This paragraph places no restrictions on the shipping or sale of
television receivers that were manufactured before July 1999.
(b) All TV broadcast receivers as defined in § 15.3(w), including personal
computer systems meeting that definition, with picture screens 33 cm (13 in)
or larger, measured diagonally, or with displays in the 16:9 aspect ratio
that are 19.8 cm (7.8 in) or greater in height and digital television
receivers without an associated display device shipped in interstate
commerce or manufactured in the United States shall comply with the
provisions of paragraphs (c), (d), and (e) of this section.
(c) Transmission format. (1) Analog television program rating information
shall be transmitted on line 21 of field 2 of the vertical blanking interval
of television signals, in accordance with § 73.682(a)(22) of this chapter.
(2) Digital television program rating information shall be transmitted in
digital television signals in accordance with § 73.682(d) of this chapter.
(d) Operation. (1) Analog television receivers will receive program ratings
transmitted pursuant to EIA-744: “Transport of Content Advisory Information
Using Extended Data Service (XDS)” (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38)
and EIA-608: “Recommended Practice for Line 21 Data Service” (incorporated
by reference, see § 15.38). Blocking of programs shall occur when a program
rating is received that meets the pre-determined user requirements.
(2) Digital television receivers shall react in a similar manner as analog
televisions when programmed to block specific rating categories. Digital
television receivers will receive program rating descriptors transmitted
pursuant to industry standard EIA/CEA-766-A “U.S. and Canadian Region Rating
Tables (RRT) and Content Advisory Descriptors for Transport of Content
Advisory Information using ATSC A/65-A Program and System Information
Protocol (PSIP),” 2001 (incorporated by reference, see § 15.38). Blocking of
programs shall occur when a program rating is received that meets the
pre-determined user requirements. Digital television receivers shall be able
to respond to changes in the content advisory rating system.
(e) All television receivers as described in paragraph (a) of this section
shall block programming as follows:
(1) Channel Blocking. Channel Blocking should occur as soon as a program
rating packet with the appropriate Content Advisory or MPAA rating level is
received. Program blocking is described as a receiver performing all of the
following:
• Muting the program audio.
• Rendering the video black or otherwise indecipherable.
• Eliminating program-related captions.
(2) Default State. The default state of a receiver (i.e., as provided to the
consumer) should not block unrated programs. However, it is permissible to
include features that allow the user to reprogram the receiver to block
programs that are not rated.
(3) Picture-In-Picture (PIP). If a receiver has the ability to decode
program-related rating information for the Picture-In-Picture (PIP) video
signal, then it should block the PIP channel in the same manner as the main
channel. If the receiver does not have the ability to decode PIP
program-related rating information, then it should block or otherwise
disable the PIP if the viewer has enabled program blocking.
(4) Selection of Ratings. Each television receiver, in accordance with user
input, shall block programming based on the age based ratings, the content
based ratings, or a combination of the two.
(i) If the user chooses to block programming according to its age based
rating level, the receiver must have the ability to automatically block
programs with a more restrictive age based rating. For example, if all shows
with an age-based rating of TV-PG have been selected for blocking, the user
should be able to automatically block programs with the more restrictive
ratings of TV-14 and TV-MA.
(ii) If the user chooses to block programming according to a combination of
age based and content based ratings the receiver must have the ability to
automatically block programming with a more restrictive age rating but a
similar content rating. For example, if all shows rated TV-PG-V have been
selected for blocking, the user should be able to block automatically shows
with the more restrictive ratings of TV-14-V and TV-MA-V.
(iii) The user should have the capability of overriding the automatic
blocking described in paragraphs (e)(4)(i) and (4)(ii) of this section.
[ 63 FR 20133 , Apr. 23, 1998, as amended at 68 FR 68546 , Dec. 9, 2003; 69 FR 2849 , Jan. 21, 2004; 69 FR 59534 , Oct. 4, 2004; 73 FR 5682 , Jan. 30, 2008;
74 FR 63079 , Dec. 2, 2009; 77 FR 4913 , Feb. 1, 2012]
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Goto Section: 15.119 | 15.121
Goto Year: 2014 |
2016
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