For this post our focus is on radio regulations in China. Radio regulations in China are characterized as strictly supervised and influential. China has used radio as a tool in order "to extend its political influence and boost its image" (China Profile-Media, BBC). They also use it to control information that appears threatening to the Communist party/Chinese government. With China extending it's political influence to more than 2,600 state owned radio stations, it cannot regulate these stations alone. To assist with radio regulations throughout the nation a Bureau was established. This bureau is called the MITT or formally known as the Bureau of Radio Regulation of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (the State Radio Office).
Before we focus on radio regulation, an overview of how the radio regulatory organs are organized are presented in the diagram below. According to the diagram the State Council is divided in to two separate groups. It is divided in to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Bureau of Radio Regulation (State Radio Office). When combined they form the Bureau of Radio Regulation of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MITT). Both collaboratively work to perform the same responsibilities. For example, together these two groups control the SRMC. The SRMC stands for the State Radio Monitoring Center. The responsibility of the SRMC is radio management. While the SRMC plays a major role in assisting with radio regulation, it will be focused more in a future post. Rather, we will direct our attention back to the MITT.
Table from the "Radio Spectrum Management: Policies, Regulations, and Techniques" by Haim Mazar.
The Bureau of Radio Regulation of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and Information (MITT) is "a national authority in charge of spectrum management in China" (Mazar, Radio Spectrum Management: Policies, Regulations, and Techniques, Google Books). The responsibilities of this Bureau in radio regulations are the following. Under the Bureau they are required to lay out radio spectrum's, to establish laws controlling radio and to make sure radio stations are following the laws, to regulate foreign affairs, to handle situations involving electromagnetic interference (when an outside spectrum tries to interfere with another spectrum), and to determine where satellites should be placed. They also establish which radio frequency belongs to which radio station, deal with radio interference investigations when an outside source is detected in their spectrum, and control civil and military affairs.
The Bureau is also responsible for controlling two levels of the radio spectrum. These levels are the national and provincial level. On the national level the Bureau puts in charge a group called the RRD. The responsibilities of the RRD is not just to lay out, monitor, and regulate radio spectrum's. They are also responsible for establishing laws pertaining to the radio spectrum, to investigate any radio interference that could pose as a threat to any of the Chinese radio spectrum's, and to develop China's image.
With the provincial level, the duties they must fulfill are less demanding. The RRD does not control radio spectrum on the provincial level. Radio regulatory agencies are responsible. While they are also required to establish laws pertaining to radio spectrum's, they are responsible for assigning which radio station gets what spectrum and gives licenses to respective stations who qualify. They also monitor the spectrum's to make sure established rules are being followed and outside sources are not interfering with Chinese radio spectrum's.
From what can be formulated the Bureau strictly regulates and monitors Chinese radio spectrum's. The Bureau makes sure no outside sources seep there way in to Chinese spectrum's. By monitoring and investigating the radio spectrum's the Bureau is making sure China's image is preserved. They also making sure no information threatens to attack the Communist party or the Chinese government. This is done by establishing regulations. By establishing regulations, the government has the upper hand in making sure no threatening information makes it's way to the people. If this information gets to the people, the Communist party/Chinese government could be at stake. Thus the Communist party/Chinese government's power could ultimately dissipate if regulations are not in place to keep both the Communist party/Chinese government and the people in their place.