[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 47, Volume 1]
[Revised as of October 1, 2005]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 47CFR15.120]
[Page 799-801]
TITLE 47--TELECOMMUNICATION
CHAPTER I--FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
PART 15_RADIO FREQUENCY DEVICES--Table of Contents
Subpart B_Unintentional Radiators
Sec. 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
[[Page 800]]
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) Effective January 1, 2000, all TV broadcast receivers as defined
in section 15.3(w) of this chapter, including personal computer systems
meeting that definition, with picture screens 33 cm (13 in) or larger in
diameter 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 Sec.
73.682(a)(22) of this chapter.
(2) Digital television program rating information shall be
transmitted in digital television signals in accordance with Sec.
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 Sec. 15.38) and EIA-608: ``Recommended Practice for Line
21 Data Service'' (incorporated by reference, see Sec. 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.
Effective March 15, 2006, 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 Sec. 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,
[[Page 801]]
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]