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The Information & Broadcasting Ministry connected Friday (March 27, 2026) released the TV Ratings Policy (TRP) 2026, replacing the guidelines that were successful effect since January 16, 2014. The caller argumentation tightens audit norms, introduces enhanced illustration size and typical information for accuracy, and lowers introduction barriers for standing agencies.
“The argumentation defines wide standards for the registration, operation, audit, and oversight of agencies providing TV standing services, with the purpose of ensuring transparency, independence, and accountability successful assemblage measurement,” said the Ministry.
Under the caller policy, the net-worth request for a institution consenting to registry arsenic TV standing bureau has been reduced from existing ₹20 crore to ₹5 crore. In bid to guarantee neutrality, it provides that astatine slightest 50% of the committee of directors indispensable beryllium autarkic directors with nary ties to broadcasters, advertisers, oregon advertizing agencies. The agencies besides cannot prosecute successful consultancy roles that could make conflicts of interest.
“To amended information accuracy, agencies indispensable standard up their operations to 80,000 metered homes wrong 18 months (six months for existing standing agency), yet reaching 1,20,000 homes. Measurement indispensable beryllium technology-neutral, capturing information crossed Cable, DTH, OTT, and Connected TVs. The information shall beryllium captured from each the TV viewing screens of the metered homes,” it said.
Agencies are required to people their elaborate methodology and anonymised information connected their websites. All operations person to strictly comply with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, to safeguard spectator privacy.
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“A dual-audit strategy is present mandatory, featuring quarterly interior audits and yearly autarkic outer audits. The Ministry volition besides represent an Audit & Oversight Team for periodic tract inspections,” said the Ministry, adding that agencies are besides required to name a nodal serviceman to resoluteness complaints wrong 10 days and found an appellate authorization for escalated disputes.
The argumentation states that immoderate viewership arising retired of “landing page” volition not beryllium counted successful the viewership measurement. The leafage tin beryllium utilized lone arsenic a selling tool. The broadcasters volition person to disclose the availability of its transmission connected it, if any, to the standing agency.
“Non-compliance volition pull graded penalties, ranging from impermanent suspensions of ratings to the cancellation of registration for repetition violations,” it said.
TV organisation oregon OTT platforms person been allowed to people periodic viewership information of broadcasters oregon channels being played connected them oregon their websites, without obtaining registration oregon permission.
