Satellite TV Under Broadcast Ad Rules

Satellite television providers such as DirecTV Group Inc. and EchoStar Communications Corp.’s Dish Network will have to follow the same rules for political and children’s advertising as over-the-air broadcasters and cable TV operators under new regulations.

The rules issued by the Federal Communications Commission require satellite operators to allow political candidates to buy advertising time on their systems and to sell it to them at the lowest rates they offer to commercial customers.

The FCC also limited the amount of commercial time on children’s programs to 12 minutes per hour during the week and 10 1/2 minutes per hour on weekends, the same as restrictions on broadcast and cable.