#e4mBreaking:  No TV ratings agency registered under new policy yet: L. Murugan

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has informed Parliament that no television audience measurement agency, including the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), has yet been registered under the newly notified Television Ratings Policy, 2026, effectively confirming that television ratings remain suspended pending compliance with the new regulatory framework.

Responding to an unstarred question in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L. Murugan said the Television Ratings Policy, 2026 requires every entity engaged in television audience measurement to register under the new framework. As of now, "no entity is registered under the new Policy," he said.

The clarification comes amid growing uncertainty in the broadcasting industry following the suspension of television ratings after the rollout of the new policy. Broadcasters, advertisers and media agencies have been awaiting clarity on when ratings will resume, particularly as the ministry has been working with BARC to operationalise the revised framework.

The government, however, did not provide any timeline for the resumption of television ratings.

In his written reply, Murugan said the Television Ratings Policy, 2026 replaces the 2014 Guidelines for Television Rating Agencies and establishes a comprehensive regulatory regime governing the registration, functioning, audit and oversight of television audience measurement agencies.

According to the government, the objective of the policy is to improve transparency, accountability and independence in television audience measurement.

Among the key reforms introduced under the new framework is a reduction in the minimum net worth requirement for rating agencies from Rs 20 crore to Rs 5 crore, a move aimed at encouraging greater participation and competition in the ratings ecosystem.

The policy also introduces technology-neutral audience measurement, allowing agencies to measure viewership across traditional television as well as Connected TVs (CTV) and television channels distributed through OTT platforms.

Another significant reform is the expansion of the television measurement panel from 50,000 metered homes to 80,000 homes, along with mandatory establishment surveys every three years to ensure that the sample remains representative of India's evolving television universe.

One of the most closely watched provisions is the exclusion of "landing page" viewership from official television ratings. The provision has been at the centre of a legal dispute initiated by the All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF), which challenged the government's decision to remove landing page data from ratings.

On Friday, the Kerala High Court vacated its interim stay on the implementation of the landing page provision, clearing the way for the ministry to proceed with its implementation.

The new policy also mandates annual independent audits of rating agencies and introduces a graded penalty framework for non-compliance with regulatory requirements.

Addressing concerns over independence of television ratings, the government said the policy incorporates several institutional safeguards.

These include restrictions on cross-holding, a requirement that at least one-third of the board comprise independent directors, a prohibition on consultancy or advisory activities that may create conflicts of interest, mandatory security clearances, and audit and transparency obligations designed to preserve the functional and operational independence of rating agencies.

The government also clarified that the Television Ratings Policy, 2026 does not create a monopoly structure and places no restriction on the number of agencies that can be registered.

"Any entity in the business of television ratings in India has to comply with certain additional requirements and register under the new Policy," the minister said, adding that multiple agencies will be permitted to operate once they satisfy the prescribed eligibility conditions.

The parliamentary response assumes significance as the industry awaits the resumption of weekly television ratings. While the ministry has already notified the policy, the absence of any registered rating agency means the audience measurement system cannot formally resume until an agency completes the registration process under the new regulatory regime.

Industry executives are also closely watching BARC's registration process, as the ratings body is simultaneously working on complying with the new governance requirements while implementing technical changes such as excluding landing page viewership and preparing a roadmap for Connected TV measurement. These changes are expected to be critical before the ratings ecosystem returns to normal operations.