Government Notifies TV Rating Policy 2026 to Boost Transparency and Accountability

New Delhi: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has officially notified the TV Rating Policy 2026, introducing comprehensive guidelines to regulate television audience measurement in India. The policy sets clear standards for the registration, operations, auditing, and monitoring of TV rating agencies, aiming to ensure transparency, independence, and accountability in viewership data.

According to an official statement by the ministry, the key highlights of the policy are as follows:

Easier Entry Norms

The net worth requirement for companies seeking registration as TV rating agencies has been reduced from ₹20 crore to ₹5 crore, making it easier for new players to enter the sector.

Strong Measures to Prevent Conflict of Interest

To ensure impartiality, at least 50% of the board members must be independent directors with no links to broadcasters, advertisers, or advertising agencies. Additionally, agencies are prohibited from undertaking consultancy work that may lead to conflicts of interest.

Expanded Sample Size and Representative Data

To improve data accuracy, agencies must expand their operations to cover 80,000 metered homes within 18 months (6 months for existing agencies), eventually reaching 1,20,000 homes. The measurement system must be technology-neutral, collecting data from cable, DTH, OTT, and connected TV platforms. Viewership data will be gathered from all TV screens in metered households.

Transparency and Data Privacy

Agencies are required to publish their detailed methodologies and anonymized data on their websites. They must also strictly comply with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 to safeguard viewer privacy.

Accountability and Audits

A dual-audit system has been made mandatory, including quarterly internal audits and annual independent external audits. The ministry will also establish audit and monitoring teams for periodic field inspections.

Grievance Redressal Mechanism

Agencies must appoint a nodal officer to resolve complaints within 10 days and set up an appellate authority for escalated disputes.

Exclusion of Landing Pages

Viewership from landing pages will not be counted in audience measurement. However, landing pages can still be used as a marketing tool. Broadcasters must provide information about their channel availability on such pages to rating agencies.

Compliance and Penalties

Non-compliance with the guidelines may lead to penalties ranging from temporary suspension of ratings to cancellation of registration in case of repeated violations.

Permission for Platforms to Publish Data

TV distribution and OTT platforms will be allowed to publish periodic viewership data of channels available on their platforms without requiring registration under these guidelines.

Through these measures, the Government of India has reaffirmed its commitment to creating a fair, competitive, and well-regulated broadcasting ecosystem that protects stakeholder interests and serves the public good.

The TV Rating Policy 2026 replaces the existing guidelines issued on January 16, 2014, and is now available on the ministry’s official website.