With IRS stalled, BARC ratings disrupted, no common OOH currency & radio seeking relevance, measurement gaps are making traditional media harder to justify - pushing ad dollars towards digital

Kanchan Srivastava Sep 3, 2026 8:58 AM

News genre alone has cost the ratings body over ₹15 crore since March; a full-genre freeze from July could wipe out several times its annual revenue

Imran Fazal Sep 1, 2026 9:13 AM

The government is trying to create a competitive ratings market while simultaneously making the ratings business more heavily regulated

Imran Fazal Aug 31, 2026 9:00 AM

The investment question is becoming more difficult because the television market itself faces structural pressure

Imran Fazal Aug 27, 2026 9:25 AM

Advertising money and viewing are shifting towards digital video environments where the platforms themselves largely control the underlying audience signals

Shantanu David Aug 27, 2026 9:07 AM

MIB has approached TAM and Chrome DM seeking their support and capabilities for CTV measurement, according to people familiar with the development

Imran Fazal Aug 26, 2026 8:57 AM

Brands aren't abandoning TV and top channels are selling out, but without fresh GRPs, broadcasters are negotiating harder on rates, inventory and integrations as the festive quarter gets underway

Tasmayee Laha Roy Aug 25, 2026 8:38 AM

Following Thursday's high-level govt meeting on the prolonged ratings impasse, the industry is yet to receive any fresh direction from the ministry

Imran Fazal Aug 21, 2026 9:10 AM

The meeting, attended by I&B Secretary and senior government officials, discussed at length the outstanding issues surrounding BARC's compliance with the TRP 2026 policy

Imran Fazal Aug 20, 2026 3:28 PM

Prior to this, Breno Barcelos was with Google as Global Product Lead

e4m Desk Aug 19, 2026 1:50 PM

The I&B Minister's 'Chanakya-like' approach focuses on BARC’s core regulatory and technical issues, rather than letting competing industry bodies fight among themselves, say industry executives

Imran Fazal Aug 15, 2026 8:39 AM

The development comes after e4m reported that Swamy had been nominated and elected by the AAAI board to replace Shashi Sinha on the BARC board

e4m Staff Aug 14, 2026 6:46 PM

At a time when BARC's credibility is already under the microscope before MIB, industry executives say the appointment risks opening an uncomfortable new front for the ratings body

Imran Fazal Aug 14, 2026 3:00 PM

Advertisers are seeking stronger audience proof, customised integrations and performance-linked deals, making broadcasters work harder to sell spot inventory

Imran Fazal Aug 14, 2026 8:54 AM

Industry questions whether Srinivasan Swamy can take on another major responsibility, while calls grow for a younger, agile agency leader with a deep current-market connect

Imran Fazal Aug 13, 2026 2:20 PM

Guest Column: M Gautham Machaiah writes how regulatory reform collides with commercial reality in television’s most lucrative quarter

M. Gautham Machaiah Aug 12, 2026 1:50 PM

Gaurav Banerjee, who also chairs the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India, declined to comment on ratings trends in his capacity as the industry body's chairman

Imran Fazal Aug 10, 2026 9:02 PM

Stakeholders also discussed broader ease-of-doing-business reforms for India's evolving media and entertainment ecosystem

Imran Fazal Aug 6, 2026 7:02 PM

e4m had first reported that the Ministry was inclined to allow BARC to resume ratings while the formal renewal process continued

e4m Staff Jul 31, 2026 1:53 PM

Senior television industry executives told e4m that the withdrawal was driven by a combination of legal setbacks and increasing industry pressure to restore certainty to the TV measurement ecosystem

Imran Fazal Jul 29, 2026 9:57 AM

Cable industry is likely to not pursue further legal remedies after Kerala HC vacated the stay on releasing the ratings without landing page data

Imran Fazal Jul 27, 2026 9:07 AM

Some executives also raised concerns over the reliability of broadcaster disclosures, which form a key part of the compliance framework

Imran Fazal Jul 24, 2026 1:58 PM

The decision removes the interim roadblock that had kept the provision in abeyance since May 22 and marks a significant victory for the Centre and BARC

Imran Fazal Jul 24, 2026 11:35 AM

Guest Column: Ajay Kulkarni, Director-Growth Barcode Entertainment, writes that the creator economy needs a new language to define creators by their influence, not just their follower count

Ajay Kulkarni Jul 24, 2026 9:36 AM

Industry experts say suspension of weekly television ratings disrupts commissioning, scheduling and content decisions, forcing broadcasters to depend on experience rather than data

Imran Fazal Jul 21, 2026 9:33 AM

Parliament has also turned its attention to the government's proposed Telecommunications (Television, Radio and Associated Services) Rules, 2026

Imran Fazal Jul 20, 2026 8:38 AM

Dr Annurag Batra on why India needs one measurement currency, why India's marketers should be the principal custodians of audience measurement, and more

Annurag Batra Jul 16, 2026 4:16 PM

The Kerala High Court disclosure is also feeding into a separate, and arguably bigger, storm brewing around BARC's leadership

Imran Fazal Jul 14, 2026 9:27 AM

BARC urged the High Court to vacate the interim order, submitting that "there is no reason to have granted interim relief"

Imran Fazal Jul 13, 2026 5:52 PM

Says exclusion of landing-page viewership is a scientific audience measurement principle, not a restriction on channel placement; argues petition challenging policy is not maintainable

Imran Fazal Jul 13, 2026 5:36 PM

The petitioners further argued that the Centre had failed to justify why existing safeguards developed by the BARC were insufficient

Imran Fazal Jul 13, 2026 5:13 PM

Multiple news broadcasters are also expected to seek adjustments to their BARC subscription invoices once ratings resume, according to industry executives familiar with the matter

Imran Fazal Jul 10, 2026 9:20 AM

With weekly TV ratings on pause, the industry is forced to confront a bigger question: Has advertising become too dependent on measurement to trust creativity?

Aryendra Khan Jul 9, 2026 7:32 PM

Global technology companies including Google (which owns YouTube), Amazon (which owns MX Player and Prime Video), Netflix, and Meta have historically retained tight control over audience data

Imran Fazal Jul 9, 2026 9:15 AM

Nacho Gómez will continue as CEO of MUT

e4m Staff Jul 9, 2026 8:23 AM

Brij Bakshi, former Addl DG Doordarshan and a media & communication analyst, writes that TV ratings reset is an opportunity to learn from the shortcomings of TAM and BARC

Brij Bakshi Jul 8, 2026 6:06 PM

Dr Annurag Batra decodes the question of whether the industry is ready for an entirely new way of measuring audiences

Dr Annurag Batra Jul 8, 2026 11:30 AM

Industry executives said today's IBDF meeting is expected to focus on preparing a common industry position before engaging with the ministry

Imran Fazal Jul 6, 2026 11:47 AM

Industry executives argue that while licence renewals are a regulatory process, stopping ongoing operations before the process is completed creates uncertainty for the entire sector

Imran Fazal Jul 3, 2026 8:59 AM

With TRPs suspended at the start of the crucial festive planning cycle, advertisers may divert budgets to digital platforms where campaign performance can be measured in real time

Imran Fazal Jul 3, 2026 8:59 AM

Marketers and brand leaders are unanimous that TV measurement needs to go beyond traditional reach, frequency metrics by combining cross-media audience measurement with richer content intelligence

Shantanu David Jul 3, 2026 8:57 AM

Advertisers, broadcasters, agencies and investors face an unprecedented measurement vacuum; industry warns prolonged suspension could reshape media buying and TV economics

Imran Fazal Jul 2, 2026 9:06 AM

The move effectively renders BARC's ratings operations inactive until the ministry completes the renewal process under the new regulatory framework

Imran Fazal Jul 1, 2026 9:42 PM

The latest communication comes after industry executives expected news ratings to return this week following the expiry of the four-week suspension period that ended on June 28

Imran Fazal Jul 1, 2026 8:28 PM

BARC also urged the MIB to withdraw its directive barring charges to news broadcasters during the TRP blackout, stating that the ratings suspension should not halt subscription fee collection

Imran Fazal Jul 1, 2026 6:22 PM

TRP row also puts the spotlight on news-licensed channels carrying general entertainment and sports programming

Imran Fazal Jun 29, 2026 8:11 AM

AIDCF has already filed its counter submissions opposing the Centre's plea seeking vacation of the interim order granted by the court

Imran Fazal Jun 19, 2026 3:00 PM

The move also raises questions about the extent of governmental involvement in the operational and commercial functioning of BARC

Imran Fazal Jun 8, 2026 8:25 AM

The directive, communicated by BARC to its subscribers on Monday, comes less than a month of an earlier order issued in May

Imran Fazal Jun 3, 2026 1:19 PM

Harsh Deep Chhabra, Global Head – Media at Godrej Consumer Products, discusses how FMCG companies are adjusting media strategies amid supply-side disruptions and geopolitical tensions

Imran Fazal May 28, 2026 9:25 AM