[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 47, Volume 1]
[Revised as of October 1, 2001]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 47CFR15.120]

[Page 708-710]
 
                       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 709]]

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) [Reserved]
    (d) Operation. (1) Analog television receivers will receive program 
ratings transmitted pursuant to industry standard EIA-744 ``Transport of 
Content Advisory Information Using Extended Data Service (XDS)'', 
October 1997, Electronics Industries Association and EIA-608 
``Recommended Practice for Line 21 Data Service'', September 1994, 
Electronics Industries Association. This incorporation by reference was 
approved by the Director of the Federal Register in accordance with 5 
U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. Blocking of programming shall occur 
when a program rating is received that meets the pre-determined user 
requirements. Copies of EIA-744 and EIA-608 may be obtained from: Global 
Engineering Documents, 15 Inverness Way East, Englewood, Co 80112-5704. 
Copies of EIA-744 and EIA-608 may be inspected during normal business 
hours at the following locations: Federal Communications Commission, 
2000 M Street, NW, Technical Information Center (Suite 230), Washington, 
DC, or the Office of the Federal Register, 800 North Capitol Street, NW, 
suite 700 Washington, DC.
    (2) Digital television receivers shall react in a similar manner as 
analog televisions when programmed to block specific rating categories.
    (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:

    <bullet> Muting the program audio.
    <bullet> Rendering the video black or otherwise indecipherable.
    <bullet> 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.

[[Page 710]]

    (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]