IBF hopeful to reach compromise with Trai on ad-cap regulation

The Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), association of the broadcasters, is hopeful that the industry will reach to a compromise with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), the sector regulator, on the issue of standardised ad duration for all channels. 

Trai’s notification on Standards of Quality of Service (Duration of Advertisement in Television Channels), has maintained standardised ad duration at 12 minutes per hour, while many broadcasters have been flouting this by showing even over 25 minutes of ads on TV. 

Manjit Singh, president, IBF and CEO of Multi Screen Media said that IBF understand that the regulation is in the viewers’ interest. 

IBF has suggested in talks with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Trai suggesting that the reduction in ads to be phased in rather than implemented immediately. 

Manish Tewari, Minister for Information and Broadcasting, while speaking at the 4th CEO Roundtable on Broadcast, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in New Delhi earlier this week, had said that the government could have strictly enforced the rule if it wanted but has been sensitive to the industry's problems in this regard. 

He had said when these regulations came out he understood the concerns of the broadcasters that till the digitisation process completes, subscriber revenue starts kicking in and new revenue model is established there were difficulties.

Source: http://cablequest.org/news/national-news/item/2262-ibf-hopeful-to-reach-compromise-with-trai-on-ad-cap-regulation.htmlSource: http://cablequest.org/news/national-news/item/2262-ibf-hopeful-to-reach-compromise-with-trai-on-ad-cap-regulation.html