A total of 15 hit TV shows will be broadcast without airing fees on TV in Central China's Hubei province, the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak, said the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) Monday.

The topics of the donated shows include medical drama, revolutionary history, modern urban and rural lives, and traditional Chinese culture.

"Nirvana in Fire," a popular Chinese TV series first aired in 2015, is also among the donated shows.

According to the NRTA, the copyrights of 12 other TV series had been donated to Hubei during the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday.

Since people in Hubei are required to stay at home or are under quarantine due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the broadcasting of the TV series is to rally public morale and help them tide over a difficult time of self-quarantine, according to the NRTA.