BARC revises TRP system with new landing page rules
BARC will implement new landing page protocols from May 30, 2026, removing their influence on TRP calculations. News channel TRP publication will resume from June 11, while the revised framework also expands sample homes and introduces cross-screen audience measurement.
By Harikrishnan R
The Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) of India is set to implement new landing page protocols for Television Rating Point (TRP) measurement from May 30, 2026, eliminating the influence of TV landing pages on total viewership.
The organisation will restart the publication of TRPs for news channels beginning June 11, based on data compiled during week 22, from May 30 to June 5.
It will also mark the end of the suspension on the publication of TRPs for news channels, which was initiated by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on May 6.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had instructed BARC to suspend TRP publication for news channels over concerns about the spread of speculative content and unwarranted sensationalism by channels to boost ratings amid the Iran-Israel conflict.
A landing page in television broadcasting refers to the page that appears when a viewer turns on a set-top box. News and entertainment channels have often used landing pages as a strategy to increase their TRPs.
Most notably, during the 2020 TRP manipulation controversy, channels were accused of exploiting landing pages to create artificial increases in ratings and reach.
Channels often purchase ‘forced landing pages’ from cable and DTH providers as marketing tools, which generate spikes in viewership and end up distorting TRP measurements.
The decision comes as part of the Television Rating Policy 2026, an overhaul of audience measurement practices in India that have been affected by allegations of manipulative viewing practices for more than a decade.
The framework mandates the expansion of the present television viewership sample to 1,20,000 homes, while also adding cross-screen tracking to measure viewership across emerging digital platforms and streaming services.
BARC has also announced that it will conduct webinars for subscribers to explain operational procedures under the revised guidelines.
Overall, the ministry’s decision points to an attempt to rebalance audience metrics that directly influence a Rs. 2 lakh crore marketing industry.
