Mainland television stations have been told they must seek official approval for mobile phone quizzes in the wake of the furore surrounding CCTV's competition on the death toll from this month's Russian school siege.
All ongoing games must be stopped immediately and no news shows or programmes that touch on politics and sensitive issues can offer mobile phone quizzes in the future, according to regulations issued by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.
China Central Television aired a quiz show on September 6 asking viewers to text message the number of people who died in the Beslan siege. They were given four choices from 302 to 402. The incident claimed at least 335 lives, mostly young children.
Two CCTV producers were removed and an editor sacked.
A spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the time there were only two possible explanations for the broadcast - incompetence and ignorance, or a monstrous hard-heartedness among those who composed the question.
The Beijing News said in commentary earlier this month that it was brutal to entertain or make money out of tragedy.