BEIJING, Aug. 4 -- China would forbid any new foreign-owned TV channels from entering the country, domestic media reported.

    China "will not again allow a foreign satellite TV station to have landing rights in the country," Xinhua said, citing new rules from domestic regulators.

    Regulators said the new rules were designed to strengthen oversight of the industry while the government "finds ways to regulate (existing foreign media in the market) to prevent harmful programs from entering."

    Foreign players with mass broadcasting rights now in China include Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., Viacom's MTV and News Corp.-backed Phoenix Satellite Television Co. Ltd., which all broadcast in Guangdong.

    Tom Group Ltd., controlled by Hong Kong's richest businessman, Li Ka-shing, also owns a station with mass broadcast rights in Guangdong with Time Warner Inc.

    Overseas players with limited broadcasting rights in the market include Time Warner's CNN and the BBC news channels, and various channels owned by News Corp.'s Star TV subsidiary.

    The ban on new stations in the market is expected to have the most immediate impact on Disney, which applied for a limited broadcasting license in 2003 and is one of the few major media companies without a channel in the market, observers say.

    Viacom's Nickelodeon children's channel also applied for a limited broadcasting license in 2003, and could also be affected.

    Spokeswomen from Disney and Viacom had no immediate comment.

    The television and film regulator announced in April that all media companies would be limited to a single programming joint venture, in a move that appeared directed at Viacom, which had announced several partnerships.

    Last month, the regulator followed with more regulations banning city and provincial broadcasters from cooperating with foreign media companies.

(Source: Shenzhen Daily/Agencies)