TRP overhaul draft gets industry nod—with a word of caution on execution

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s fresh draft amendment on the Television Rating Points (TRP) policy has set the broadcast industry abuzz. In an era where viewer data shapes both advertising decisions and programming strategies, the ministry’s move to expand the sample panel to 1.2 lakh households, eliminate broadcaster involvement in the measurement process, and exclude landing page viewership from ratings has been received as both long overdue and cautiously progressive.

The draft proposes a minimum panel size of 80,000 households within 18 months of registration for any television rating agency, which would then grow annually by 10,000 households until it reaches 1.2 lakh. It also clarifies that no employee or member of a broadcaster can be part of the audience measurement system and that viewership generated from landing pages will no longer be counted toward TRPs.

Also read: MIB’s latest TRP draft reinstates bar on broadcasters owning stakes in rating agencies

MIB proposes to expand TRP meter panel size to 1.2 lakh households

MIB proposes TRP policy changes: Landing Page not to be counted in audience measurement

A senior broadcast executive welcomed the intent, but questioned the timeliness and scale. “Firstly, we are very late in expanding this. So, will even 1.2 lakh meters serve the purpose? That’s one. Still, it’s better than what we have today — at least there will be some clarity,” he said.

The executive added that the diversity of representation across genres would be critical. "Currently, regardless of how consumption patterns are evolving, there are two major genres still being consumed on TV: general entertainment and news. There are 160 million households, and the majority of people still watch television. So, with the right representation and appropriate sample sizing, it will help both news and entertainment broadcasters garner the right valuation from advertisers.”

Another broadcast expert echoed similar sentiments but called for urgency in execution. "The sample size of even 1.2 lakh is abysmal in comparison to what true representation requires. The larger the sample size, the greater the probability of achieving accurate representation. So, expanding the sample size, without a blink of an eye, is a good idea. The bigger the sample, the better it is — because with a small sample, some segments get over-indexed while others get under-indexed. However, this discussion has been going on for the last 10 years, and nothing has been executed so far. If it actually happens now, it will be a very good move.

He also supported the ministry’s decision to ensure no broadcaster or their employees are involved in audience measurement. “It is absolutely right. Broadcasters are the most affected parties here — how can they themselves be part of it? It is not right. Actually, there should be no one who should have a whiff of the methodology, the way it is constructed and what is constructed. The task should be given it to a third-party agency, which is the government. They will do a good job.”

The News Broadcasters Federation (NBF) too has welcomed the ministry’s move to end the use of landing pages in TRP measurement.

“The News Broadcasters Federation welcomes the decision of the MIB to seek a review of the ongoing measurement of landing pages and to seek responses to the proposal to ban the measurement of landing pages once and for all. Some channels have made the use of landing pages as a strategic tool to mislead the advertisers and most unfortunately BARC has so far failed to put a stop on this. NBF has been engaging with all stakeholders constructively and we believe that by ending landing pages measurement finally, this bad practice will end. We also hope that broadcasters who use this tool as an artificial measure to spike ratings stop doing so. The NBF stands in solidarity with independent news broadcasters across the country on this issue,” said Arnab Goswami, NBF president.

Sanjay Dwivedi, Group CEO and CFO of Balaji Telefilms, called it a progressive reform that could strengthen credibility in television measurement. “The suggested changes to the TRP guidelines represent a positive step toward greater accountability and transparency in television audience measurement. By preventing landing page manipulation and increasing panel size, the Ministry is promoting fairer and more accurate audience metrics in an increasingly multi-platform world."

“Nonetheless, the significant compliance requirements and expanded panel size mandates may create operational and cost difficulties for existing agency, as careful implementation of the recommendations will be important to help assure and support continued innovation and industry engagement,” he said.

Broadcast expert Rajiv Khattar viewed the move as a much-needed correction in the system.

“The move to bring a clause on the number of the boxes is a positive step, as that will give a clear target to the rating agencies, something which was not there till now. Also, there should not be any conflict of interest with the broadcasters, and to ensure that, the MIB has specifically said that any employee is not included in the panel.”

Another senior industry expert noted that the expansion of panel size could go beyond traditional television to include digital viewership.

“Expansion of panel in the context of cross media is ok. It doesn't mean expansion in the conventional sense, it could also mean a digital panel as cross media is important.”

While the ministry’s draft aims to strengthen credibility, fairness and inclusivity in audience measurement, industry voices underline that execution will be the real test. For a sector long plagued by questions of transparency and representation, this proposal might finally set the stage for a more authentic picture of what India really watches.

Earlier, the Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation (IBDF), the apex body representing India’s leading television broadcasters, had raised sharp objections to the government’s proposed amendments to the Policy Guidelines for Television Rating Agencies in India, warning that the changes could open the door to conflicts of interest involving Distribution Platform Operators (DPOs) and global Big Tech companies.

In its letter to the ministry, the foundation had said that the sudden overhaul of the system risks creating fragmentation and uncertainty.

It had sought that existing cross-holding restrictions under Clauses 1.5 and 1.7 of the 2014 guidelines, which prevent broadcasters, advertisers, or agencies from holding controlling stakes in rating companies, be retained.

It said these provisions have been critical in maintaining “structural impartiality” and that their dilution could expose the system to manipulation.

On July 2, the ministry invited feedback on draft amendments to the 2014 “Policy Guidelines for Television Rating Agencies, while proposing two deletions: Clause 1.5, which bars individuals with direct commercial interests in broadcasting or advertising from sitting on the boards of rating agencies, and Clause 1.7, which prevents ownership overlap between broadcasters, advertisers, ad agencies and measurement firms. The ministry had invited stakeholder suggestions by September 2.