MAM
TV networks flay Trai for ad regulation
NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India does not have the mandate to regulate advertising and any content-related issues, according to a majority of the stakeholders who have responded to the review call by the broadcast sector on capping ad duration on television channels.
The consumer rights organisations or individual consumers, on the other hand, have welcomed Trai‘s decision to regulate advertisement time. Some have also called for a Consumer Redressal mechanism to check violations as they find the endless running of ads on certain genre of channels a serious irritation.
The Advertising Standards Council of India (Asci), however, is not among the forty-odd respondents as the Consultation Paper does not deal with content but only with regulatory issues relating to duration and timing of commercials.
Indian Broadcasting Foundation, the apex organisation of television broadcasters, says the paper “appears to have been issued in an injudicious manner in so far as it reflects on the Authority’s power to regulate content on television channels”.
The present consultation paper posits that the heavy reliance of Indian broadcasters on advertising revenues is due to the “non-addressable nature of the cable TV networks,” and “gross under declaration of the subscriber base”.
“The under-representation of subscription revenues in the business model of Indian broadcasting is also due to a decade of excessive regulation of subscription models — including tight retail rate regulation, increasing interference in wholesale rate-setting, and maintenance of “must-provide” mandates that prevent platform differentiation and unnecessarily restrain competition,” the IBF said.
The IBF further added that over-regulation was responsible in creating the industry’s current imbalances. It suggested that the key to resolving the imbalances lies in progressively remedying the ills at their cause.
The federation also pointed that Indian broadcast industry has one of the lowest monthly ARPUs in the world under $4 vs $60-120 for developed nations, as per Ficci-KPMG 2012 report.
While reiterating Trai’s own position as stated in Tdsat, Star TV India says the regulator has no jurisdiction to regulate advertising as per extant laws, rules and regulations.
Star argues that any shrinking of advertisement space is likely to impact broadcaster’s ability to offer superior and differentiated content to their viewers at an affordable price. It says Trai’s proposed recommendations are retrograde, will substantially increase the costs to consumers, will burden advertisers with higher costs, and will drive out marginal and smaller advertisers from advertising their products on national television.
Zee TV says that curtailing advertisements would mean infringing on the fundamental right of free expression quoting Supreme Court judgments to say that any kind of restriction on media ads would be violative to the fundamental rights of Speech and Expression as enshrined in the Constitution.
It has also questioned why TV is being targeted while newspapers are free to carry any amount of advertising. It suggested that the issue of advertising which is purely a content issue should be left to self-regulation as at present any attempt/suggestion to regulate the same would be highly detrimental for this sector. It also said that several TV channels will be forced to close down with severely restricted ad time.
Times Television Network says it would be better for Trai to concentrate on smooth switchover to digital access systems instead of spending its time on issues like advertisements, which have been clearly addressed in the CTN Rules. While stressing that Parliament has already passed the CTN Rules and Trai cannot override those, it also questions the regulator making a difference between free to air and pay channels as arbitrary, unwarranted, and not based on sound facts.
A response by Vijay Television and Asianet Communications on behalf of South Indian regional channels questions the jurisdiction of Trai. It says the paper fails to provide adequate justifications for a differential regime for Pay and FTA channels and also does not take into account the unique business model of regional broadcasters who operate in challenging regime of sky rocketing content acquisition costs and an onset of Carriage spends which makes mockery of the “Pay revenues” earned from the MSOs and cable operators.
They say regulation in advertisement would eventually lead to heightened subscription fees, the burden of which may have to be ultimately borne by the consumer. Additionally, this could lead to further reduction in the quality and variety of content, thus leading to the commodification of the entire content industry.
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33 per cent of women believe the salary scale is rigged: Naukri report
Voices @ Work study finds rising calls for equal pay audits and lingering bias
MUMBAI: Progress may be visible in India’s workplaces, but many women still feel the need to tread carefully. A new report by Naukri reveals that one in two women hesitate to disclose marriage or maternity plans during job interviews, worried that such information could influence hiring decisions.
The findings come from the second edition of Naukri’s annual Voices @ Work International Women’s Day report, titled “What Women Professionals Want.” Drawing insights from more than 50,000 women across over 50 industries, the survey sheds light on evolving workplace aspirations alongside the biases that continue to hold women back.
One of the report’s most striking insights is the growing demand for equal pay audits. The share of women calling for regular pay parity checks has climbed to 27 per cent this year, up from 19 per cent a year ago. The demand now stands alongside menstrual leave as the most sought after workplace policy.
Interestingly, the call for pay transparency grows louder higher up the income ladder. Nearly half of women earning between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore annually say equal pay audits are a priority, suggesting that pay gaps become more visible as women move up the career ladder.
At the same time, confidence and ambition appear to be rising. About 83 per cent of women say they feel encouraged to pursue leadership roles, a significant jump from 66 per cent last year. Cities in southern India appear particularly supportive, with Hyderabad leading the way as 86 per cent of respondents there reported encouragement to step into leadership positions. The education sector recorded the highest sense of encouragement at 87 per cent.
Yet the report also highlights a growing trust deficit around pay equity. Nearly one in three women, or 33 per cent, say they do not believe men and women are paid equally at their workplace. That figure has risen from 25 per cent last year, pointing to widening perceptions of disparity as careers progress.
Bias in hiring and promotions continues to be the biggest hurdle. About 42 per cent of respondents say workplace bias is the main challenge for women from diverse backgrounds. The concern is consistent across major metros, with Chennai and Delhi NCR reporting similar levels.
Reluctance to discuss personal milestones during hiring processes is also widespread. While 34 per cent overall said they hesitate to share marriage or maternity plans in interviews, the anxiety increases with experience. Among professionals with 10 to 15 years of work experience, the figure rises to 40 per cent.
Info Edge group CMO Sumeet Singh, said the data reflects both progress and unfinished work. “Behind every data point in this report is a woman who is ambitious. The fact that 83 per cent feel encouraged to lead is something to celebrate. However, the fact that one in two still hide their marriage or maternity plans in interviews tells us the work is far from done. As India’s leading career platform, it felt not just important but necessary for us to shine a light on these gaps through the second edition of our report,” he said.
The report suggests that while ambition among women professionals is growing, structural changes around pay transparency, fair hiring and supportive policies will be key if workplaces hope to keep pace.
