Govt removes 12-minute hourly ad cap for TV channels after 17 years

The central government has scrapped the 12-minute-per-hour advertisement duration cap for TV channels. The Ministry of I&B amended the Cable Television Networks Rules, citing a changed broadcasting sector and the need for a level playing field.

The central Government has notified the rules removing the 12-minute-per-hour advertisement duration cap for television channels, with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting notifying the Cable Television Networks (Amendment) Rules, 2026 in the Gazette on August 21. The official notification from the Ministry said, "In the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994, in rule 7, sub-rule (11) shall be omitted," which refers to the amendment that capped television advertisements at 12 minutes per clock hour.

A Changed Broadcasting Landscape

The advertisement duration cap was introduced in 2006 under the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994. The Ministry noted that the TV broadcasting sector has changed significantly since then. In 2006, there were only 62 TV channels, compared to more than 900 today, according to a release from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

At that time, Cable TV, the main platform for delivering TV channels, was analog and had limited carriage capacity, offering consumers very limited choice. Following the complete digitization of the Cable TV sector, all TV distribution platforms, including DTH, Cable TV, HITS and IPTV, are now digital. These platforms currently carry 300 and 500 channels or more, meeting diverse consumer needs and enabling greater variety. Consequently, there is now adequate competition in market dynamics.

Leveling the Playing Field

In view of the changes that have occurred in the TV broadcasting sector, a need was felt to revisit the stipulations relating to advertisement duration. In India, the sector is heavily dependent on advertising, irrespective of whether a channel is 'pay' or 'free-to-air'.

Furthermore, there was a non-level playing field for traditional TV channels vis-a-vis digital media, where no such stipulation on advertisement cap regulation exists. The release said that the Ministry of I&B is of the view that there exists adequate competition in the market within the TV industry and between the TV industry and digital media. The Government has decided to remove the advertisement duration cap to enable fair competition and ensure ease of doing business. (ANI)

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