New Delhi: The government has proposed amendments to the Policy Guidelines for Television Rating Agencies in India that would bar viewership arising from landing pages from being counted in official television ratings—a move aimed at ending one of the most contentious and distortion-prone practices in India’s broadcast ecosystem.
The draft amendments issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) on Thursday seek to ensure a “level playing field” by directing that audience data generated through channel landing pages be excluded from final Television Rating Points (TRPs). Landing pages may continue as a marketing tool, but their contribution to viewership measurement will be explicitly prohibited.
The birth of the landing-page:
The controversy around landing pages dates back to the early 2010s, when India’s television distribution ecosystem went digital. With the shift to set-top boxes, cable and DTH operators gained the ability to assign a “boot-up” or default channel number—known as a Logical Channel Number (LCN)—that automatically appears when a viewer turns on the TV.
Broadcasters quickly realised the marketing value of such positions and began paying distributors for these prized slots. When a channel appears by default—even for just a few seconds—it inflates its “reach” and, consequently, its reported viewership.
While not illegal, the practice became particularly controversial in the news genre, where even minor fluctuations in TRP ratings can significantly impact advertising revenues. Critics argue that landing-page impressions represent incidental exposure, not deliberate viewing. Broadcasters, on the other hand, maintain that the visibility gained through landing pages is a legitimate outcome of distribution investment.
Legal and regulatory battles
The regulatory tug-of-war over landing pages has stretched for years. In 2018, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) directed that no rated channel be placed on a landing LCN or boot-up screen. However, the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) struck down the directive in 2019, stating that TRAI lacked jurisdiction over TRP-related matters.
The Supreme Court intervened in 2020, staying parts of the TDSAT order but leaving the issue of landing pages unresolved. The matter remains sub judice, with the apex court last listing the appeal in January 2023.
In parallel, BARC’s efforts to algorithmically neutralise landing-page impact in 2020 were challenged legally, but the Delhi High Court upheld BARC’s autonomy, deeming it an expert body best suited to address such technical matters.
Government response: “Implementation is possible”
Top MIB sources, however, said the government had conducted extensive groundwork and is confident of legal and technical feasibility.
“Our Ministry has always taken a consultative approach. We’ve invited stakeholder comments over the next 30 days and will proceed after studying all views,” an official said.
Explaining the implementation, the official added: “If a cable or DTH operator has earmarked channel No. 100 as the landing LCN, the rating agency must identify such channels and exclude viewership from them in the final data. Technology has advanced enough for this to be executed without major challenges.”
