I&B Ministry proposes amendments to Policy Guidelines for Television Rating Agencies; Seeks Public feedback

On 2-7-2025, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued draft amendments to amend the ‘Policy Guidelines for Television Rating Agencies in India’ which were notified in the year 2014.

Key Points of the draft amendment:

1. Earlier, the clause said that the company’s Memorandum of Association should not include any activity like consultancy or any such advisory role, which will lead to a potential conflict of interest with its main objective of rating.The draft Amendment proposes that the company, whatsoever, cannot undertake any activity like consultancy or any advisory role which can lead to potential conflict of interest with its main objective of rating.
2. The clause that prevented any Board of Directors of the television rating company from being in any business of broadcasting/ advertising/ advertising agency has been deleted.
3. The clause relating to the compliance with the following cross holdings requirement has been omitted:
   • No single company/ legal entity, through its associates or inter-connected undertakings, can have substantial equity holding in rating agencies and broadcasters/ advertisers/ advertising agencies;
   • No single company/ legal entity, through its associates or inter-connected undertakings, can have substantial equity holding in more than 1 rating agency operating in the same area;
   • The restrictions will also apply to individual promoters;

   • A promoter company/ member of the board of directors of the rating agency cannot have stakes in any broadcaster/ advertiser/advertising agency, directly or through its associates or interconnected undertakings.

Need for a Modern system for Television Rating Agencies:

Television viewing habits in India have undergone a significant transformation in recent years. Audiences now consume content not only through cable and DTH platforms but also via smart TVs, mobile applications, and other online streaming platforms. However, the existing system for measuring viewership, Television Rating Points (‘TRP’), does not fully capture these evolving patterns.

This gap between evolving viewing patterns and the current measurement framework can affect the accuracy of ratings, which in turn may influence revenue planning for broadcasters and advertising strategies for brands.

Recognising these developments, there is a need to strengthen the television rating system to better reflect contemporary content consumption habits in a dynamic media environment.

Aim and objectives:

1. Allow multiple agencies to foster healthy competition, bring in new technologies, and provide more reliable and representative data especially for connected TV platforms.
2. Enable more investments from broadcasters, advertisers, and other stakeholders to improve rating technology and infrastructure.

3. With these reforms, India aims to build a more transparent, inclusive, and technology-driven TV rating ecosystem.

Note: The Ministry solicits feedback/ comments from General Public/ Stakeholders, in respect of the proposed amendments, in electronic form at the email address sobpl-moib@nic.in by 1-8-2025.