China opens objection period on audience-measurement data standard

China's National Radio and Television Administration published on 8 September 2026 the approval draft of an industry standard, General Technical Requirements for Data Collection in Comprehensive Audience Evaluation Systems, and opened it for public objection until 17 September 2026.

The notice was issued by the administration's science and technology department. The standard covers broadcast television and online audiovisual services, the regulatory category that includes short-form serialised video. It sets requirements for how data is collected into systems used for comprehensive audience evaluation.

The document is at the approval-draft stage. It has not been promulgated and is not in force. Objections may be submitted to the science and technology department during the ten-day window.

The standard is a measurement instrument rather than a content rule, and it does not name vertical drama or microdrama. Separately, the administration's departmental-rules column, which carries Order 16 on the administration of microdrama development, has not been updated since 31 July 2026.