Centre notifies TV Rating Policy with focus on transparency

The policy states that at least 50 per cent of the Board of Directors must be independent directors with no ties to broadcasters, advertisers or advertising agencies
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The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) on Friday notified the TV Ratings Policy which lowers net worth eligibility, institutes requirements for audits and focuses on higher number of metered homes for ratings measurement, while removing landing page viewership data. The Ministry said this was done with the aim of ensuring transparency, independence and accountability in audience measurement.

The net worth requirement for a TV rating agency has been reduced from the existing ₹20 crore to ₹5 crore. Also, in a bid to implement anti-conflict measures, the policy states that at least 50 per cent of the Board of Directors must be independent directors with no ties to broadcasters, advertisers or advertising agencies. Additionally, agencies are also prohibited from engaging in consultancy roles that could create conflicts of interest, it added.

TV rating agencies must scale up their operations to 80,000 metered homes within 18 months, taking it up to 1.2 lakh homes eventually. Existing rating agencies must scale up within six months. “The data will be captured from all the TV viewing screens of the metered homes,” it added.

In a significant move, the policy also states that viewership arising out of the Landing Page will not be counted in the viewership measurement. However, the Landing Page can be used only as a marketing tool. Broadcasters will also need to disclose the availability of their channel on the landing page to the rating agency.

“Agencies are required to publish their detailed methodology and anonymised data on their websites. Furthermore, all operations must strictly comply with the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 to safeguard viewer privacy,” it added.

A dual-audit system has also been now made mandatory, featuring quarterly internal audits and annual independent external audits. The Ministry will also constitute an Audit & Oversight Team for periodic field inspections. Other features include appointment of a nodal officer for grievance redressal and a graded penalties system for non-compliance.

Meanwhile, TV Distribution Platforms or OTT platforms can publish periodic viewership data of broadcasters/ channels being played on their platforms, on their websites, without obtaining registration or permission under these guidelines.

“Through these measures, the Government reaffirms its commitment to a fair, competitive and well-governed broadcasting environment that safeguards the stakeholders and public interest. The policy replaces the existing Guidelines for TV Rating Agencies in India released in 2014 and has been released after consultiation

Published on March 27, 2026