Ratings: Question of Survival

As the monsoon season is withdrawing, the markets are getting ready to welcome the annual festive season. The run-up to Diwali is, of course, the peak time of the year for companies to spend to advertisements and for media to earn their revenues. But the linear TV industry, which garnered a total of Rs 260 billion in advertisements in 2025 (source: Statista) is not in any festive mood. If anything, there is an uncertainty in the air.

The reason: the lack of clarity about viewership ratings. The advertising agencies decide on spending advertisers’ budgets on various channels depending on their individual ratings. In the absence of television ratings, it is very difficult for them to determine advertising spends on different genres and channels.

And why are the ratings missing? Because the only rating agency in the country, Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), is under suspension. In July this year, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) directed the BARC to stop publishing television ratings across both news and non-news genres until its licence was renewed under the Television Ratings Policy, 2026. 

The Government directive [https://newsonair.gov.in/ib-ministry-directs-barc-to-suspend-tv-ratings-till-licence-renewal/] paused BARC’s ratings operations until the ratings body secures licence renewal and is certified as fully compliant with the new regulatory framework introduced by the Ministry.

The new regulatory framework [: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2246225&reg=3&lang=1], announced in March 2026, was expected to add more players in the ratings operations, but BARC has remained the sole rating agency so far. The monopoly status it enjoys has led to an unhealthy situation. While BARC is promoted by the industry, its leadership has been alleged to be suffering from an attitude problem, stemming from its monopoly status.

Earlier, the executive management of BARC was known to be working as if behind the closed doors, reluctant to engage with stakeholders. It was not transparent when any query was raised and never willing to give any explanation about the working of their system. Later, another leadership team at the agency faced allegations of cheating, manipulation of ratings and corruption, leading to a CBI investigation. The events had already shaken the faith of many stakeholders. The recent management, again, was not ready to answer any queries. Instead of providing satisfying clarifications to the stakeholders, it always insisted on their point being right. In general, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the BARC failed to win the trust of the industry, with its arbitrary ways.

It was this negative and arrogant attitude that possibly prompted the MIB to overhaul the policy framework and aim for “strengthening transparency, accountability and credibility of television audience measurement in country”.

Apart from the festive season, there one more reason why the uncertainty resulting from this makes the industry all the more anxious, indeed despondent. In the post-pandemic phase, linear TV channels have been facing intense competition from digital media. Mutlimedia platforms are eating into the advertisement revenue share of the traditional TV channels. For the latter, the advertisement spending in 2025 had already seen a dip compared to the previous year. In such a scenario, the absence of a television rating system is a big blow to the industry and puts a question mark on the industry survival.

There is, therefore, an urgent need to find an amicable solution for sake of the survival of the entire industry. All stakeholders should strive to find a middle path. At the same time, as the sole agency in the market, the BARC should live up to the responsibility placed on it, and set its house in order. It’s high time the present executive management of BARC was dismantled and replaced by a management that is positive and transparent. That will ensure its proper functioning. The problem is not so difficult that it cannot be overcome. Let the saner heads prevail.