I&B Ministry
Central Bureau of Communication issues advisory for pvt TV channels
MUMBAI: The days are being counted down for TV channels looking to get some revenue through the Indian government’s ads and spots on television.
According to the central bureau of communication (CBC) wing of the ministry of information and broadcasting 552 channels had been empaneled with it three years ago and as per its policy renewal guidelines the earlier empanelment is valid only till 31 December 2024.
Last week, the CBC once again sent out an advisory reminding private TV channels which had not re-registered themselves to do so before the last date.
Only TV channels empaneled with it will qualify to receive government advertising and its social development or messaging spots
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The CBC also clarified that 15 channels which had empaneled with it as of 1 January 2024 need not reapply for empanelment but they would need to update their documents.
The last date for renewal of empanelment was actually 17 December but the CBC had given another extension to the private TV channels.
MUMBAI: When the numbers go silent, the noise on screen gets a little harder to measure. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has extended the suspension of television rating data for news channels, directing Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) to withhold TRPs for another four weeks. The latest order, issued on March 31, 2026, builds on an earlier directive from March 6 that had paused ratings for a month. The ministry has clarified that the blackout will continue for four weeks or until further instructions are issued whichever comes earlier keeping the industry in a prolonged state of data drought.
The reasoning, officials suggest, lies far beyond domestic screens. With geopolitical tensions in West Asia continuing to escalate, the government has flagged concerns over how such developments could influence news consumption and presentation. The move is aimed at curbing excessive sensationalism and speculative coverage during what it describes as a sensitive global moment.
For the broadcast ecosystem, the absence of Television Rating Points (TRPs) is more than symbolic, it removes the industry’s primary scorecard. Ratings dictate advertising flows, shape editorial strategies and fuel the competitive pecking order among news channels. Without them, broadcasters are effectively operating without a public performance benchmark.
The timing only adds to the complexity. Amid a high-intensity global news cycle, channels must now navigate audience engagement without the weekly feedback loop that typically drives programming decisions. Advertisers, too, are left recalibrating, leaning on proxies such as brand strength, reach and distribution instead of hard viewership data.
While framed as a temporary regulatory intervention tied to maintaining public order, the extended suspension underscores a broader unease about the tone and direction of news coverage. For now, the ratings race is on pause but the battle for attention continues, just without a scoreboard.
