ITV

Tag: policy guidelines

  • Govt sharpens TRP policy: advisory roles out, conflict of interest curbed

    Govt sharpens TRP policy: advisory roles out, conflict of interest curbed

    NEW DELHI: In a move set to shake up the television ratings ecosystem, the ministry of information & broadcasting has proposed amendments to its decade-old policy on television rating agencies in India and opened the floor for public comments.

    The fresh draft tweaks the 2014 guidelines with sharper guardrails. Among the headline changes: rating agencies must now be Indian-registered companies under the Companies Act, 2013, and are barred from offering consultancy or advisory services that could lead to a conflict of interest with their core job—ratings.

    In a bid to declutter the framework, the ministry has deleted clauses 1.5 and 1.7, along with the proviso tagged to clause 1 post explanation.

    (Clause 1.5 basically states that “any member of the board of directors of the television rating company shall not be in the business of broadcasting/ advertising/advertising agency.)

    (Clause 1.7 states that the company shall comply with the following cross holdings requirements, namely.
    (a) No single company/ legal entity, either directly or through its associates or inter-connected undertakings, shall have substantial equity holding in rating agencies and broadcasters/advertisers/ advertising agencies.
    (b) No single company/legal entity, either directly or through its associates or inter-connected undertakings, shall have substantial equity holding in more than one rating agency operating in the same area.
    (c) The cross-holdings restriction will also be applicable in respect of individual promoters besides being applicable to legal entities.
    (d) A promoter company/member of the board of directors of the rating agency cannot have stakes in any broadcaster/ advertiser/advertising agency either directly or through its associates or inter-connected undertakings.
    Explanation: For the purpose of para 1.7, substantial equity shall mean equity of 10% or more of paid-up equity. Having a substantial equity holding in companies shall constitute a cross-holding. Provided that the eligibility conditions stipulated at 1.5, 1.6 and 1.7 will not be applicable in the self-regulation model where the industry-led body, such as, Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) itself provides the rating.)

    The new norms will apply not just to future applicants but also to existing players in the market.

    Stakeholders and the general public have 30 days to respond to the draft, preferably via email to the ministry. The consultation marks a significant step towards transparency and credibility in India’s ratings architecture—a space often marred by controversy and trust deficits.

    The complete amendment order and policy guidelines are available on the I&B ministry’s website.

  • Hearing on Kantar petition adjourned till 11 July

    Hearing on Kantar petition adjourned till 11 July

    MUMBAI: The Delhi High Court today adjourned hearing on a petition by Kantar Market Research Services challenging the government’s cross-shareholding norm for television rating agencies till 11 July.

     

    The court had earlier stayed operation of the cross-shareholding norm till the case is disposed of. And in accordance with the court’s directive, TAM Media Research, which is jointly owned by Kantar and Nielsen, last month applied to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting for its registration as a television ratings service.

     

    The cross-shareholding norm, which came into effect from 15 February, debars shareholders owning more than 10 per cent of a television rating agency from having stakes in broadcasters and advertising agencies.

     

    TAM has also been allowed to continue publishing its television ratings till the court decides on the Kantar petition.

     

    Kantar had today sought adjournment of the case to April but the court decided to have the next hearing only in July.

     

    The election commission on Wednesday announced the dates for the 9-phase polling for Lok Sabha elections and the results would be announced on May 16.

     

    With the announcement of the election schedule, the election code of conduct came into effect which bars governments from taking any policy decisions.

  • TAM applies for registration with MIB

    TAM applies for registration with MIB

    MUMBAI: When Kantar Market Research Services, a shareholder of India’s only operational ratings agency TAM Media Research, decided to go to court against the government’s cross-shareholding norms for television ratings agencies, there was a big question mark on the future of TAM.

     

    But as Kantar on 11 February succeeded in obtaining a stay on the cross-shareholding norms from the Delhi High Court till a judgement is delivered on its petition, it had some hope that TAM could continue to operate as a television ratings service provider.

     

    The court granted TAM two weeks after the guidelines take effect on 15 February to apply for registration with the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB).  It had time till the end of next week to apply, but it submitted its registration application much earlier, on Friday.

     

    Kantar CEO Eric Salama confirmed to indiantelevision.com that TAM has submitted its application for being registered as a television ratings service provider.

     

    However, there is no clarity on the period within which the ministry will take a decision on TAM’s application for registration.

     

    There are various scenarios that can play out in the coming weeks for TAM. Further hearing on the Kantar petition will happen on 6 March.

     

    The first but highly unlikely scenario is the ministry acting on TAM’s application and before 6 March accepts the company as eligible to be granted a registration certificate. The next step will be the company, its board of directors, MD, CEO and CFO going through a security clearance.

     

    The second scenario is that the ministry rejects TAM’s application before 6 March, which also seems highly unlikely, or that the application is rejected after the hearing on 6 March. This could lead to Kantar filing an appeal against the government’s rejection of its application either in the High Court or in the Supreme Court and praying for allowing continuity in their business in the country. While granting the stay on cross-shareholding  norm, the court had also allowed TAM to continue to publish their television ratings.

     

    The third scenario could be the government asking TAM to submit more documents. In such a case, Kantar could approach the Delhi High Court for more time to submit the documents sought by the government.

     

    The fourth and more probable scenario is that the ministry may not act on TAM’s application till the Delhi High Court verdict on cross-shareholding is delivered. If the ministry finally rejects TAM’s application, Kantar may go in appeal against it.

     

    Finally, in the event of the Delhi High Court upholding the cross-shareholding norm, Kantar could either go in appeal against the verdict in the Supreme Court or may decide to restructure shareholding of TAM to comply with the government’s shareholding regulations.

     

    The government’s norm requires that shareholders of a television ratings agency should not hold more than a 10 per cent stake in broadcasters, advertising agencies or other television ratings agencies.

     

    In all, it seems like TAM has got some time to continue publishing its television viewership ratings in the country.