YouTube has blocked North Korea's state television channel to avoid breaching US sanctions against the country.

The channel was reportedly broadcasting news on a range of topics from nuclear tests performed by the country to North Korean leader Kim Jong un's outings.

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According to the Washington Post, the decision to ban the channel was apparently not taken because the channel's content was inappropriate but because the North Korean government could earn money from YouTube through advertising. However, the channel's YouTube page currently reads that the account has been terminated for violating YouTube's Community Guidelines.

According to YouTube's community guidelines, only those videos that include sexual, violent, harmful or copyrighted content are banned. YouTube users are also asked to flag content that may violate the law.

Under sanctions imposed in March, the Treasury Department said that North Korea's Propaganda and Agitation Department engages in censorship on behalf of the country. The consequent measures taken against the department bans any U.S. company or person from doing any business with it.

Bruce Klingner, an Asia specialist at the Heritage Foundation, said the country had other options. They could post the videos free of charge without any intention of making money or could even use any of their supporters to do it.

YouTube's decision has been met with disappointment by some analysts who depended on the channel for insight into the most impenetrable places in North Korea.

There are many other YouTube channels that broadcast news from North Korea, but this one was the fastest and most reliable source. Also, the channel's termination means that the archive of videos that analysts pored over has disappeared. Analysts claim that the amount of money the channel was making was probably quite small.