

Trai loses oversight over TV ratings, govt takes full control
The government has stripped India’s telecom regulator of oversight over television ratings, taking full control of the system that influences billions of dollars in advertising spending.The 2026 policy released last week hands complete oversight to the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB), showed the document reviewed by Mint. Until now, both the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) and the ministry shared oversight, creating a dual system.Trai, however, continues to regulate other key aspects of the broadcasting and cable TV sector, including channel pricing, advertising limits, interconnection and distribution rules, service quality, and compliance standards.The policy has also issued guidelines to establish standards for the registration, operation, audit, and oversight of all entities engaged in providing television rating services in India.TV ratings track what millions of people watch every day and dictate where advertising money is spent.
Indian companies spent ₹36,200 crore on television advertising, including connected TVs, in 2025, according to an EY-Ficci report released in March. But ratings are mired in controversy, with the Mumbai Police in 2020 probing Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc) for alleged manipulation of numbers.By removing Trai from the oversight structure and concentrating these powers with the ministry, the policy may raise concerns about the absence of an independent regulatory check in the TV ratings ecosystem, said Rahul Mehta, partner, King Stubb & Kasiva, Advocates and Attorneys.
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