TRAI Scraps 12-Minute Ad Cap, Paves Way for More TV Commercials

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has repealed its 2012 regulations limiting TV ads to 12 minutes per hour. This follows the government's decision to eliminate the advertising cap, aiming to promote fair competition and adapt to changes in the TV broadcasting sector.

In a significant regulatory shift, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) announced the repeal of its 2012 guidelines on Thursday concerning the duration of television advertisements. This decision comes in the wake of the government's recent move to abolish the 12-minute-per-hour advertising limit.

The original regulations, introduced to enforce the advertisement-duration cap included in the Cable Television Networks Rules of 1994, restricted ad time to 12 minutes per hour. TRAI held the authority to issue directives ensuring compliance with this mandate.

The change follows an announcement by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on August 21, which removed the ad cap from the Cable Television Networks Rules. TRAI emphasized that continuing with the old regulations would be inconsistent with the new framework, as they aim to foster competition, adaptability, and ease of business in a rapidly evolving media landscape.