← Policy & Regulation-Standards & approvals (all topics)
Television Ratings Policy 2026
What it is
Notified by MIB in Mar 2026, replacing the Television Rating Agencies Guidelines 2014. It requires every ratings agency to obtain fresh registration before publishing audience data, and adds governance, audit, transparency, security-clearance and expanded metered-home obligations
The framework empowers graded penalties, from suspension of ratings to cancellation of registration for repeated non-compliance
Impact on industries
- Expanded metered-home rules address the core credibility problem of too small a panel, and registration opens the door to competing measurement agencies
- Registration became a chokepoint immediately: the incumbent's licence lapsed pending renewal, and the entire market lost ratings as a result
- Government discretion over who may publish audience data is itself sensitive in news broadcasting, where ratings determine which editorial voices attract revenue
- Compliance was initially set at 30 days, later extended to 60 after industry feedback, so timelines have already moved once