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
   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, 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]