New Delhi: The government on Friday unveiled the TV Ratings Policy 2026, aiming to make television audience measurement more transparent, independent and accountable, while also easing entry for new players in the sector.
The new policy replaces the earlier 2014 guidelines and seeks to ensure fair practices, accurate data measurement and stronger oversight in the broadcasting ecosystem.
Under the revised norms, the government has significantly reduced the entry barrier for companies looking to operate as TV rating agencies.
The net worth requirement has been brought down from Rs 20 crore to Rs 5 crore, a move aimed at encouraging more participation and competition in the sector.
To maintain neutrality and prevent any conflict of interest, the policy mandates that at least half of the Board of Directors of rating agencies must be independent, with no links to broadcasters, advertisers or advertising agencies.
It also bars such agencies from taking up consultancy assignments that could compromise their impartiality.
In a bid to improve the accuracy and representativeness of data, the policy requires agencies to expand their sample size to 80,000 metered homes within 18 months, while existing agencies have been given six months to meet this target.
The sample size will eventually be scaled up to 1,20,000 homes. The measurement system has been made technology-neutral, covering viewership across cable, DTH, OTT platforms and connected TVs, and capturing data from all screens within selected households.
The policy also places strong emphasis on transparency and data privacy. Rating agencies will now be required to publish their methodologies and anonymised data on their websites.
At the same time, they must comply with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 to ensure the safety of viewers’ personal information.
To enhance accountability, a dual-audit mechanism has been introduced, involving quarterly internal audits and annual external audits.
In addition, the Ministry will set up an Audit and Oversight Team to conduct periodic field inspections.
(IANS)
