Will BARC resume TV news TRP ratings this week as the blackout period ends?

Television news ratings are likely to return to normal this week. Industry executives familiar with the matter expect the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) to release TV news viewership data on Thursday following the expiry of the four-week suspension period mandated by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB).

The ratings are expected to cover the four-week period that ended on June 28, bringing an end to a temporary blackout that began after the ministry directed BARC to withhold publication of weekly television news ratings from June 1.

The resumption of ratings, however, is likely to come with an important caveat.

Industry executives said BARC will have to comply with a recent Kerala High Court interim order that stayed the implementation of a key provision relating to the exclusion of landing page viewership data from television ratings. As a result, the audience measurement body is expected to publish the ratings in accordance with the court's directions until there is further legal clarity.

The development is significant for broadcasters as landing page impressions—generated when television channels automatically appear as the default channel on distribution platforms—have remained one of the most contentious issues in television audience measurement. Industry executives said that in view of the High Court's interim stay, BARC would have little option but to publish ratings that continue to reflect the existing methodology unless the legal position changes.

BARC did not respond to queries sent by e4m.

Four-week blackout comes to an end

The ministry had on June 1 instructed BARC to suspend publication of television news ratings for four weeks while the industry transitioned to the revised measurement framework. The blackout period was intended to facilitate implementation of changes related to audience measurement without causing disruption to weekly rankings.

With the four-week period now completed, there appears to be no regulatory restriction preventing BARC from resuming publication of weekly news ratings, executives said.

The return of ratings is expected to be closely watched by television news broadcasters, advertisers and media agencies, all of whom rely on BARC data for advertising planning, inventory pricing and competitive benchmarking.

BARC seeks withdrawal of fee-related directive

The audience measurement body has also written to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting seeking withdrawal of another directive issued during the suspension period, people aware of the matter said.

The ministry had instructed BARC not to levy subscription or rating-related charges on news broadcasters for the duration of the ratings blackout, arguing that broadcasters should not be billed while ratings remained unavailable.

However, BARC urged the ministry that there should be no obligation to suspend billing during the blackout period. According to people familiar with the communication, the council has sought withdrawal of the directive, maintaining that the temporary non-publication of ratings did not eliminate the costs associated with maintaining and operating the audience measurement system.

The issue is expected to be taken up separately between the industry body and the ministry.

Industry awaits regulatory clarity

The resumption of ratings comes at a time when India's television audience measurement framework is undergoing significant regulatory scrutiny.

The debate around landing page viewership has intensified over the past year, with broadcasters divided over whether automatically assigned channel impressions distort genuine audience preferences. While several news broadcasters have advocated excluding such impressions from ratings, others have argued that any methodology changes should follow broader industry consultation and scientific validation.

The Kerala High Court's interim order has added another legal dimension to the ongoing debate, temporarily halting implementation of the revised provision and requiring BARC to continue operating within the parameters laid down by the court.

For broadcasters, Thursday's expected release will mark the first publication of television news ratings since the ministry's intervention in June, although the longer-term methodology governing audience measurement is likely to remain subject to both regulatory and judicial developments.