I&B Ministry
News disallowed but advt terms relaxed for community radio
NEW DELHI: While holding that the grant of permission agreement will be extended for five years at a time for community radio stations, the government has said that the application will have to be submitted in the fourth year.
In relaxation of its Guidelines of 2006 to promote the growth in the sector, it was stated that the first extension shall be granted on the basis of an application and verification of adherence to the terms and conditions of the permission.
For second extension beyond 10 years, the continuous operation of CRS by the permission holder for 10 years will be treated as ground for extension. CRS should submit their application for extension of permission a year before end of the permission period.
Considering that there are less than 150 operational CRS even after more than a decade of launch of the scheme, the changes announced along with the funding scheme announced earlier this month would help the growth of this sector.
News and current affairs and programmes of current affairs which are political in nature will not be permitted. However, CRS can broadcast news and current affairs contents sourced exclusively from All-India Radio in its original form or translated into the local language/dialect. AIR shall source its news to CRS without any charge. It will be the responsibility of the CRS permission holder to ensure that the news is not distorted or edited during translation.
Another important relaxation is in terms of permitting additional categories that can come under non-news and current affairs broadcast.
These are:
(a) Information pertaining to sporting events excluding live coverage. However live commentaries of sporting events of local nature may be permissible;
(b) Information pertaining to traffic and weather;
(c) Information pertaining to and coverage of local cultural events, festivals;
(d) Coverage of topics pertaining to examinations, results, admissions, career counseling;
(e) Availability of employment opportunities;
(f) Public announcements pertaining to civic amenities like electricity, water supply, natural calamities, health alerts etc. as provided by the local administration;
(g) Such other categories not permitted at present that may subsequently be specifically permitted by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting from time to time.
The additions also say that transmission of sponsored programmes shall not be permitted except programmes sponsored by Central and state governments and other organisations to broadcast public interest information.
Limited advertising and announcements up to a maximum of seven minutes per hour relating to local events, local businesses and services and employment opportunities will be allowed.
(In a related development, the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity deleted the empanelment condition that “Community Radio Stations will undertake in writing that DAVP approved rates accepted by them are their lowest rates and exclusive to DAVP and cannot be offered to any other agency”.)
The additions in the Guidelines further said: “In disaster situations, the District Magistrate’s permission shall be sufficient to relocate CRS. However, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting should be informed of the change of place by both the CRS and District Magistrate.
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.
