#e4mExclusive:  BARC files licence renewal application amid MIB review of TRP policy

The Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) has formally filed for renewal of its television ratings licence with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), amid the government’s broader review of the newly notified Television Rating Points (TRP) Policy 2026, according to industry sources.

The development comes after senior representatives from the Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation (IBDF) and BARC met Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to flag concerns around the implementation timeline and operational requirements under the revised ratings framework. 

Sources familiar with the matter said BARC’s renewal application was submitted following the ministry’s decision to extend the compliance window for existing television audience measurement agencies. Under the amended policy guidelines issued earlier this month, existing agencies have been granted 60 days to reapply under the new regulatory architecture.

The revised TRP policy, notified on March 27, 2026, had initially mandated implementation within 30 days, triggering concerns across broadcasters, advertisers and audience measurement stakeholders over feasibility, costs and governance norms. 

Among the key issues raised by industry stakeholders were the aggressive expansion targets for people meters, mandatory board restructuring requirements, and the exclusion of landing-page impressions from ratings calculations. Broadcasters argued that the accelerated rollout could significantly increase operational expenditure without proportionate gains in measurement accuracy.

In response to industry representations, the MIB recently relaxed several provisions under the framework. The ministry reduced the mandatory share of independent directors on ratings agency boards from 50% to 33%, extended the timeline for achieving 80,000 metered homes, and shifted the establishment survey cycle from annual to once every three years.

Industry executives said the ministry’s revised stance signals a willingness to balance reform objectives with practical implementation realities. Officials are also understood to be evaluating additional stakeholder feedback before finalising the long-term contours of the audience measurement ecosystem.

BARC currently remains the sole television audience measurement body in India and continues to play a central role in determining advertising rates and broadcaster performance metrics across the television industry.