I&B Ministry
MIB recants, says only explicit condom ads banned during the day
MUMBAI: After stirring the hornet’s nest on the contentious issue of restricting condom ads to only water-shedding hours, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has clarified that such ads can be aired on TV during daytime.
In an advisory earlier this month, the MIB had asked all TV channels to air condom advertisements only between 10pm to 6am to avoid exposure of such material to children.
But in a clarification dated 21 December 2017, the ministry said the ban on condom advertisements during daytime applies only to commercials that have sexually explicit content.
In a release, the ministry quoted that “advertisements that do not sexually objectify women and are aimed at informing citizens regarding devices/products/medical interventions to ensure safe sex are not covered under the said advisory.”
The ministry had earlier stated that it had taken note of objections regarding condom ads that are “targeted at a particular age group” being aired on some channels that are considered as ‘indecent especially for children.’ It used Rule 7 (7) and Rule 7 (8) of the Cable TV Networks Rules, 1994 to tell broadcasters to refrain from telecasting ads of condoms that could be considered inappropriate/indecent for viewing by children.
The relaxation on the issue came after the Rajasthan high court issued a notice to the Centre challenging an advisory of the MIB barring TV channels from showing condom ads during prime time.
The petition underlined the fact that condom ads don’t violate Rule 7 of the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994 which apply to anything which endangers the safety of children or create in them any interest in unhealthy practices or shows them begging or in an undignified or indecent manner.
The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) had approached the ministry earlier this month for guidance after several people complained regarding the inappropriate nature of the condom ads being telecast during primetime viewing on most channels.
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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.
