Govt set to scrap 10+2 TV ad cap, giving broadcasters greater flexibility

NEW DELHI: Television advertising may soon get a lot more breathing room. The government is set to remove the existing 10+2 advertising restriction for TV channels, giving broadcasters greater freedom to decide how much commercial inventory they offer.

The decision was communicated by Ashwini Vaishnaw during a recent meeting with a delegation of the News Broadcasters Federation led by its founding president Arnab Goswami.

The move follows several rounds of discussions between the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and television industry stakeholders over the long-running demand for greater flexibility in advertising.

Under the current framework, television channels can carry up to 12 minutes of advertising in a clock hour. This includes 10 minutes of commercial advertising and two minutes of self-promotional material.

The proposed change would remove that statutory ceiling altogether, representing a considerably bigger shift than the more measured relaxation that the industry had initially expected.

Broadcasters have argued that the 10+2 rule puts traditional television at a disadvantage against digital video platforms, which generally do not face a comparable statutory limit on the amount and placement of commercial messages.

Industry bodies have held several meetings with the ministry in recent weeks. Delegations from the Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation and News Broadcasters & Digital Association have also discussed advertising regulation with the government.

Stakeholders had offered different routes to reform.

The Indian Society of Advertisers proposed allowing advertising to account for 25 per cent of a clock hour, which would have translated into 15 minutes of advertising every hour.

The Advertising Agencies Association of India favoured a market-led model in which the government would not prescribe advertising duration.

Broadcasters pushed further, seeking complete regulatory forbearance. The government’s reported decision to scrap the ceiling therefore goes beyond the calibrated relaxation that had been discussed during consultations.

The 10+2 restriction has become an increasingly contentious issue as television competes for advertising budgets with streaming services, social media and other digital video platforms.

Broadcasters say their cost base has also changed significantly. Content production, distribution, transmission and technology expenses have increased, while audiences are spread across a growing number of television channels and digital services.

For news broadcasters, the financial challenge can be particularly acute. Running round-the-clock newsrooms involves live production facilities, field reporting networks, transmission infrastructure and technology investments.

The industry has maintained that broadcasters themselves have a commercial reason not to overdo advertising. Too many commercial breaks or excessive advertising could irritate viewers, reduce viewing time and ultimately weaken ratings, making the additional inventory less valuable to advertisers.

That argument could become even more important once the ceiling disappears.

The immediate effect of removing the cap would be to give broadcasters greater control over the amount and timing of commercial inventory they put on air.

But that does not mean every channel will suddenly fill every spare minute with advertising.

Broadcasters will have to weigh the additional revenue opportunity against audience tolerance. A sharp rise in commercial clutter could make television less appealing, potentially pushing viewers towards streaming platforms and other digital alternatives.

The change therefore gives broadcasters something they have long sought: freedom to manage advertising inventory according to market demand. The real test will be whether they use that freedom to maximise revenue without turning the remote control into the viewer’s fastest escape route.