TRAI notice on ad cap has broadcasters up in arms

The issue of 10+2 ad cap has come to the forefront again with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issuing a notice to broadcasters, asking them to provide reasons for not implementing the ad cap limit during their shows. The broadcasters have been given time till March 10, 2013 to send in their replies. 

This has raised the heckles of the broadcasters who have been opposing the 10+2 ad cap ever since it was first ruled by TRAI in May 2012. 

TRAI had stated that no broadcaster shall carry advertisements exceeding 12 minutes in a clock hour in a programme. The clock hour commences at 00.00 of the hour and ends at 00.60. Any shortfall of advertisement duration in a clock hour shall not be carried over. Advertisements included not only the commercials, but also the channel’s own promotions for its shows or for the channel per se. 

At that time various broadcaster bodies had opposed the suggestions citing ground realties in implementing them and the fact that the duration and number of ad breaks should be decided by market forces and not by regulating authorities. 

Talking to exchange4media, various broadcasters expressed their anguish and said that TRAI’s diktat has been challenged earlier. “We don’t understand why TRAI is overreaching itself. Moreover, TRAI is not the proper authority to issue such diktats as these don’t come under the regulatory body’s jurisdiction,” the broadcasters stressed. 

Broadcasters further said that they are running media companies and at the end of the year they need to compile balance sheets with some profits in them. “Implementing these ad caps will make entire news channels to wind up,” they insisted.

Source: http://cablequest.org/news/national-news/item/1693-trai-notice-on-ad-cap-has-broadcasters-up-in-arms.htmlSource: http://cablequest.org/news/national-news/item/1693-trai-notice-on-ad-cap-has-broadcasters-up-in-arms.html