China makes new rules for short dramas

China has new rules for short dramas^*1. A short drama is a TV series with very short episodes^*2. Each episode is less than 20 minutes long. The story has a clear theme^*3. It continues from one episode to the next, and it comes to an end.

The National Radio and Television Administration, the Chinese government office for TV and radio, published the rules on July 31, 2026. The rules say how short dramas can be made and shown.

One rule is about short dramas that are made with artificial intelligence^*4, or AI^*5. These dramas must have a label^*6. The company that makes the drama and the company that shows it must put the label in a clear place in every episode. Then people who watch the drama can see that AI made it.

There is also a rule for one group of short dramas, called "category^*7 one." Before a company starts to make one of these dramas, it must report its plan to the government. The government then shows the plan to the public. If the company later changes the main characters or the story, it must report the plan again.

The new rules will start on September 1, 2026.

1. *1 short dramas: TV series made of very short episodes, often watched on a phone
2. *2 episodes: the parts of a TV series; you watch one part at a time
3. *3 theme: the main idea of a story
4. *4 artificial intelligence: computer programs that can learn and make things like text, pictures, and videos
5. *5 AI: a short name for artificial intelligence
6. *6 label: a small sign or words that tell you something about a thing
7. *7 category: a group of things that are the same kind