Centre Removes 12-Minute-Per-Hour Limit on TV Advertisements

The Centre has decided to remove the existing restriction limiting television channels to 12 minutes of advertisements per hour. The Information and Broadcasting Ministry said the decision was taken to ensure fair competition and provide a level playing field among television channels. The ministry noted that both pay channels and free-to-air channels depend significantly on advertising revenue, making flexibility in advertising an important factor for their operations.

The government said the competitive landscape has also changed with the rapid growth of digital media, with television channels now competing not only with one another but also with digital platforms. To provide equal opportunities across these mediums, the existing restrictions on television advertisements will be removed. For this purpose, the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994, will be amended, and the revised provisions will come into effect from the date they are published in the Gazette.