India Introduces Revised TV Ratings Framework with Increased Oversight

New Delhi: The Indian government has enacted a new framework for television audience measurement, significantly increasing its oversight capabilities over television rating agencies. This comes as part of the newly released TV Ratings Policy 2026, which replaces regulations that had been in place since 2014.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced the policy on Friday, asserting that it aims to ensure greater transparency and accountability in the measurement of television viewership. The new guidelines are effective immediately and include urgent requirements for audience metrics expansion.

Only weeks prior, the ministry utilised the former regulations to instruct the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), India's sole ratings agency, to suspend its reporting of news channel ratings. This decision was made amid concerns regarding sensationalised reporting linked to the Israel-Iran conflict. The ministry had flagged inaccuracies, including a false report by a news anchor regarding American nationals supposedly taken hostage.

Under the updated rules, the government has the authority to conduct inspections of ratings agencies without prior notice if such warning could impact ratings' fairness. Agencies are obliged to provide facilities for continuous monitoring if required by the government. Remarkably, the government can also suspend or terminate the operations of a rating agency in the interest of national security, again without prior notice. If an agency fails to comply with directives, its registration may be revoked immediately, coupled with a five-year ban on reapplication.

A newly established audit and oversight team within the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will conduct regular statistical, technical, and field audits of all ratings agencies. The policy ensures formal audits at least once per year, with additional audits triggered by complaints or risk assessments.

Agencies are now required to significantly expands their viewer panels. New entities must achieve a target of 80,000 'metered homes'—households from which viewing data is collected—within 18 months of registration. Existing agencies like BARC are tasked with achieving this number within just six months. Agencies are also mandated to retain a buffer of 10 percent in additional homes and must rotate a quarter of their metered homes annually to aid accuracy.

The board composition of ratings agencies has also come under scrutiny. At least 50 percent of any agency's board of directors must now consist of independent members without affiliations with broadcasters, advertisers, or advertising agencies. All key executives, including the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), must receive security clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs and are subject to prior approval when changes to the board are proposed.

Significantly, the updated policy prohibits any single individual or entity from holding more than 10 percent equity in both a ratings agency and any broadcasting or advertising entity. Violations carry escalating penalties; a first offence results in a one-month suspension of ratings, while subsequent violations can result in increasingly severe repercussions including registration cancellation.

For clarity in measurement, the new guidelines exclude any viewership generated from 'landing page' data, allowing such metrics to be used solely for marketing purposes. This move aligns the ratings process with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act of 2023, enhancing privacy protections for viewers.

Overall, the new regulations signify the government's commitment to fostering a credible and competitive landscape in broadcasting that serves both stakeholders and public interests effectively. The previous guidelines established in 2014 have thus been thoroughly revised as part of this significant policy shift.