Broadcaster body avoids taking a stand on one of the most contentious clauses in the draft TRP policy, even as the government prepares to redraw the rules of television measurement.
The Indian Broadcasting & Digital Foundation (IBDF), the apex body representing Indian broadcasters, has chosen not to offer a formal response to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) on the highly debated issue of landing pages in the draft Television Rating Points (TRP) policy released in November.
While IBDF submitted feedback on other provisions of the draft, it deliberately stayed silent on the proposal to exclude landing-page viewership from ratings. Sources indicate that the decision stems from deep divisions within its own membership. With broadcasters split sharply on whether landing-page impressions should count towards TRPs, the industry body reportedly struggled to arrive at a unified position. Only two broadcasters are said to have shared written views with IBDF on the matter, making consensus elusive.
As a result, IBDF addressed other elements of the draft measurement framework but refrained from commenting on the landing-page clause altogether.
Government Signals Firm Intent
Sources told exchange media that the revised TRP policy is now ready, and the government is expected to instruct the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) to exclude landing-page viewership from ratings once the new framework is officially notified.
Landing pages—channels that auto-play when a television or set-top box is switched on—have emerged as one of the most contentious fault lines in the broadcast ecosystem. The MIB’s proposal to remove all impressions generated through such placements has triggered strong pushback from news broadcasters, multi-system operators (MSOs), and industry bodies, turning the issue into a defining flashpoint of the TRP overhaul.
Broadcasters Push Back
Submissions accessed by exchange media reveal that at least one news broadcaster has urged the ministry to scrap the proposal entirely. The broadcaster argued that excluding landing-page impressions would unfairly erase legitimate audience engagement and penalise channels that rely on such placements for discovery.
It also flagged the timing of the move as problematic, noting that the landing-page issue is already sub judice before the Supreme Court.
Several other broadcasters, along with the All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF), echoed similar concerns, maintaining that landing pages function as a legitimate marketing and navigation tool in an increasingly crowded channel universe.
What the Draft Policy Says
In its draft amendments issued in November 2025, the MIB proposed that any viewership arising from a “landing page” should not be counted for audience measurement. The draft explicitly states that landing pages may be used solely as a marketing tool and not as a contributor to TRP data.
Beyond landing pages, the draft introduces sweeping reforms to the ratings ecosystem. Rating agencies will be required to scale their panel to at least 80,000 households within six months, with annual additions of 10,000 homes until the panel reaches 1.2 lakh households. Governance norms are also tightening—only Companies Act–registered entities will be eligible to operate as rating agencies, and stricter conflict-of-interest rules will bar broadcasters from holding stakes in ratings firms.
Why Landing Pages Became So Powerful
In a fragmented cable and DTH landscape, landing pages became television’s prime real estate. By paying distributors for auto-play positions, broadcasters could secure instant visibility across millions of screens—no channel surfing required. For high-stakes genres like news and entertainment, this visibility often translated into higher ratings and stronger ad revenues.
Critics, however, argue that the practice blurred ethical lines, allowing financial muscle to influence measurement rather than genuine viewer choice.
What the New Clause Changes
The proposed amendment aims to break that link. Under the new framework, ratings agencies like BARC will be required to exclude landing-page impressions from official data. Broadcasters can still buy these slots, but purely for promotional visibility—not for boosting ratings.
The intent: restore transparency, parity, and credibility to a system long accused of conflating marketing spend with audience loyalty.
Ripple Effects Across the Ecosystem
For broadcasters, especially those heavily invested in landing-page placements, the change could mean softer ratings once auto-play impressions are stripped out. Smaller and regional channels, however, may find a more level playing field driven by content strength rather than carriage power.
Distributors, too, could feel the heat. “Landing pages have been a dependable revenue stream. If they’re reduced to ‘marketing-only’ assets, their commercial value may need to be recalibrated,” said a member of a national cable TV operator body.
Advertisers, on the other hand, stand to gain. Cleaner TRP data could mean media decisions based on genuine audience behaviour rather than placement-driven spikes.
The biggest question remains execution. “Distinguishing auto-play exposure from intentional viewing requires technological precision that India’s fragmented TV infrastructure may not fully support yet,” said a media buyer on condition of anonymity, pointing to the complexity of filtering such impressions across thousands of MSOs and local cable operators.
A Symbolic Reset
Despite the operational challenges, the amendment carries strong symbolic weight. It draws a clear line between visibility and viewership—one that regulators and advertisers have long demanded.
By excluding landing-page impressions from ratings, the MIB is aligning India’s measurement framework with global norms, where automatic exposure is treated as promotion, not audience choice.
With the consultation window closing in early December and a final framework expected soon, the signal from the government is unmistakable: in the next chapter of Indian television measurement, attention will have to be earned—no auto-play shortcuts allowed.
