Finally, TRAI bells the cat; b’casters to follow 10+2 ad cap from October
The first phase, starting June 1, will see ad restrictions to 30 min; from July to September, it will be 20 min of ads. There are, however, quite a few voices of dissent
The tug of war between broadcasters and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) regarding the 10+2 ad cap might be coming to an end. At a meeting held last week and then again on May 27, 2013, the broadcasters and TRAI came to an agreement on time limitation of ads which will be applicable from October 1, 2013.
A note issued stated: “The Committee that was given the task to arrive at a solution on TRAI’s QoS notification met with TRAI earlier this week, and then yesterday. The teams have tentatively agreed, being left with little choice in the matter, to their enforcement of the QoS notification to twelve minutes of paid advertising every clock hour starting 1 October 2013. Details on several related aspects will follow as soon as we are confirmed on next steps.”
As a first step to this transition, all broadcasters need to confine advertising to less than 30 minutes with immediate effect. The consequences for not conforming, given the stance TRAI is taking, can be paralyzing and will lead to prosecution. This will be strictly enforced by TRAI from 1 June 2013.
As the second step to transition, with effect from 1 July 2013, every television channel that offers news services needs to confine advertising on the channel to 20 minutes in a clock hour and all other channels, confine advertising to 16 minutes in a clock hour. This will be in force until 30 September 2013 when the 12 minute rule will kick in.
Talking to exchange4media, one of the leading broadcasters said, “We have got to know about it but we’ll discuss with TRAI and see if there is anything can be done to make it better.”
Another broadcaster, on the condition of anonymity, said, “Though we are agreeing with the ad cap in June and July but we are not ready for 10+2 from October. Broadcasters will go and meet TRAI representative and will discuss it to postpone till December.”
When asked the reason behind it, he replied, “Our inventory goes higher during the Diwali season which is around October and also there are many things we need to discuss such as ticker advt, PCR sponsorship, Sponsorship during weather forecast and TRAI is against all these things, we will fight for sure and get this done.”
Previously broadcasters have now found their own equation for ad breaks in a clock hour of programming and came up with 18+ 3. Which falls through as nobody implemented it.
