Reality TV shows with voting, such as Supergirls and Superboys, will be taken off their prime-time spots of 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm, starting next month.

The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television said in a notice on Thursday that TV channels must also stop broadcasting reality shows with external voting by mobile phone, for example.

Voting by the audience and judges on shows will be permitted, but no incentives should be offered.

The move is intended to ensure the shows are "healthy", the administration said.

It is also concerned voting by phone, which is an underhand way of making money, in the form of call charges.

The notice said TV hosts should not flatter, flirt or speak sarcastically about each other. Judges, it said, should be authoritative and professional and make "fair, appropriate and brief" comments based on contestants' performances.

An additional rule bans prime-time shows from running for more than 90 minutes.

Last month the administration banned a show on Chongqing Satellite TV for having "low taste". In the live show, two women judges spoke cattily about the show's contestants. It shocked many viewers, the administration said.

It also said it believed such shows "sullied the image of television media", although they were useful attempts to be innovative and satisfy audience demand.

Reality TV shows have been popular among Chinese audience since 2005. Shows like Supergirls and Happy Boys get top ratings but insiders said they lacked originality and were copies of American Idol.