ITV

Tag: the Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation

  • Indian broadcasters push for separate commercial TV rates as streaming bites

    Indian broadcasters push for separate commercial TV rates as streaming bites

    MUMBAI: Indian television broadcasters are mounting a fierce campaign to restore separate pricing for commercial and household subscribers, arguing that forcing hotels and restaurants to pay the same rates as ordinary homes is killing their business. 

    The Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation (IBDF), which represents the country’s main TV networks, has petitioned the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to scrap uniform pricing rules introduced in 2015. The lobby group contends that charging a Mumbai hotel chain the same rates as a middle-class family is not just outdated—it is commercial suicide. 

    “Like every other industry, TV services should recognise the higher value and different use cases in commercial environments,” the IBDF argued in its submission to TRAI. Before 2015, broadcasters enjoyed the freedom to charge premium rates to businesses and negotiate terms directly with commercial customers. That changed when TRAI imposed a one-size-fits-all pricing regime, stripping away broadcasters’ ability to set distinct commercial tariffs. Now, as television viewership plummets in favour of digital streaming platforms like Netflix,  Amazon Prime Video, JioHotstar, Z5 and SonyLiv,  broadcasters are fighting for their financial lives. 

    They argue that restoring separate, higher tariffs for commercial users could help the traditional TV industry weather the streaming storm. 

    TRAI has launched a review of the pricing structure and is consulting stakeholders—including broadcasters, direct-to-home providers, and cable operators—on whether uniform rates should continue. The regulator has not indicated when it might reach a decision. 

    The IBDF has branded the current rules as “too restrictive” and wants a return to flexible, market-driven negotiations with commercial subscribers. For an industry grappling with declining reach and stagnant subscription revenues, every rupee counts.

     The outcome of TRAI’s review could reshape India’s television landscape, determining whether broadcasters can extract more value from their dwindling commercial customer base or remain trapped in a uniform pricing straitjacket as viewers continue their exodus to streaming services.  

  • ASCI clarifies on recent news report about Self Declaration Certificate

    ASCI clarifies on recent news report about Self Declaration Certificate

    Mumbai: The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has emphasized that broadcasters and advertisers must obtain a self-declaration certificate (SDC) before releasing any new advertisements. Starting from 18 June, all new ads can only be aired if they have the SDC, as required by the Supreme Court and notified by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB).

    The Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA), the Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation (IBDF), and the Indian Newspaper Society (INS) have collectively requested that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) delay the implementation of the SDC mandate to allow the industry sufficient time to comply with the new regulatory requirements.

    In a letter to the MIB, the INS suggested that the SDC mechanism should be restricted to medical advertisements since the SC case specifically addresses misleading medical ads. Advertisers will be required to generate SDCs via the Broadcast Seva portal for TV and radio ads and through the Press Council of India (PCI) portal for print and digital ads.

    The ISA has also called for a postponement of the SDC mechanism, citing concerns over asset confidentiality as ad materials uploaded on the Broadcast Seva and PCI websites will be publicly accessible. Additionally, both websites frequently experience technical issues, potentially causing delays in generating the SDCs.

    Despite these concerns, the MIB reiterated during a stakeholder meeting on 11 June that the SDC mandate for all new advertisements across TV, digital, print, and radio will come into effect on 18 June, in accordance with the Supreme Court directive.

    ASCI has requested its members to report any difficulties they encounter in implementing the SDC mandate, so it can compile these issues and present them to the MIB for further consideration.