Published on: July 5, 2025

CENTRE PROPOSES CHANGES TO TRP POLICY

CENTRE PROPOSES CHANGES TO TRP POLICY

NEWS – The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) proposes changes to the 2014 Policy Guidelines for Television Rating Agencies to enhance transparency, competition, and technological adaptation in the Television Rating Point (TRP) system.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Key Amendment: Proposes deletion of clauses 1.5 and 1.7 which earlier restricted cross-holdings between rating agencies and broadcasters, advertisers, or advertising agencies.
  • Encouraging Competition: Aims to remove entry barriers, allowing multiple agencies to enter the TRP ecosystem, fostering healthy competition and innovation.
  • Limitations in Current System:
    • Only 58,000 people meters installed to track viewership across 230 million TV households.
    • Represents only 0.025% of TV homes — not sufficiently representative.
    • BARC does not track connected TV or digital platform viewership despite rising usage.
  • Proposed Update to Clause 1.4: Prevents rating agencies from offering consultancy services that may cause a conflict of interest.
  • Technology Push: Emphasis on incorporating smart TVs, streaming devices, mobile apps for more accurate, inclusive ratings.
  • Goal: Build a transparent, modernized TRP ecosystem reflecting India’s evolving media consumption habits.
Television Rating Points (TRP):

  • Definition: TRP measures television program popularity and viewership. Higher viewership equals higher TRP.
  • Calculation: Calculated weekly, TRP data guides broadcasters and advertisers on program popularity.
  • BARC India’s Role: The Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India, a joint industry body, calculates TRP in India.
  • “BAR-O-meters”: BARC uses “BAR-O-meters” (People meters) installed in over 58,000 households to record viewing data.
  • Data Extrapolation: This sample data is then extrapolated to estimate overall viewership.
  • Picture Matching: Another method involves “picture matching,” where the meter records a portion of the viewed picture for analysis.
  • Weekly Release: BARC releases weekly TRP results every Thursday, ranking channels and programs.