New Delhi, March 27 (NationPress) The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting unveiled the revamped TV Ratings Policy 2026, marking a significant transformation in how television viewership is assessed nationwide.

This initiative aims to enhance the system's transparency, precision, and accountability while facilitating the entry of more participants into the ratings sector.

A key reform in the updated policy is the lowering of entry barriers. Previously, agencies required a net worth of Rs 20 crore to function as TV rating organizations.

This requirement has now been reduced to Rs 5 crore, simplifying the process for new companies to join the market and promote competition.

Moreover, the government has imposed stricter regulations to mitigate conflicts of interest. Now, at least half of the board members in rating agencies are mandated to be independent directors with no affiliations to broadcasters or advertisers.

Additionally, the focus on enhancing the accuracy of TV ratings is paramount. Agencies must broaden their measurement systems to encompass 80,000 households within 18 months, eventually expanding to 1.2 lakh homes.

The updated framework will also extend beyond conventional television. It will adopt a technology-neutral strategy, ensuring that data is gathered across cable, DTH, OTT services, and connected TVs, capturing viewing behaviors across all devices in a household.

Transparency and data privacy also remain critical focal points. Rating agencies are now obligated to transparently disclose their methodologies and make anonymized data publicly available.

Simultaneously, they must adhere to the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, to safeguard users’ personal information.

To enhance accountability, the policy introduces a dual-audit mechanism. Agencies are required to perform internal audits quarterly and an external audit annually.

Additionally, there will be government-led inspections periodically to ensure adherence to the regulations.

The policy delineates a clear process for addressing complaints. Any issues related to ratings must be addressed within 10 days, with an appellate authority established to resolve lingering disputes.

In a noteworthy update, the government has clarified that viewership derived from landing pages will no longer be included in ratings.

Such placements will be regarded solely as marketing strategies, requiring broadcasters to disclose this information to rating agencies.

Severe penalties have been introduced for non-compliance. Agencies that fail to comply with the regulations may face suspension of their ratings, and repeated violations could even result in the revocation of their registration.

Notably, the new regulations permit distribution platforms and OTT entities to publish their own viewership statistics on their websites without needing prior registration under these guidelines.