The government yesterday announced  the decision to remove the 12-minute advertisement duration cap for television channels, saying the move will enable fair competition and ensure ease of doing business. The move is seen as a victory for TV channels.

The decision will come into effect from the date the amendment to the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994 is notified in the Gazette, the government said in a statement yesterday.

Interestingly, the Delhi High Court had upheld broadcast carriage regulator TRAI’s 12-minute per hour television advertising cap on May 29, 2026, dismissing broadcasters’ petitions.

The 12-minute advertisement cap, according to the government statement yesterday, was introduced in 2006, when there were 62 TV channels. There are now more than 900 channels, it said.

The government said the television broadcasting sector has undergone significant changes since 2006, with all TV distribution platforms, including DTH, cable TV, HITS and IPTV, now digital following complete digitisation of the cable TV sector.

These platforms currently carry 300 to 500 channels or more, offering consumers greater choice and variety, the government said.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said the sector is heavily dependent on advertising, irrespective of whether a channel is pay or free-to-air.

It also noted that traditional TV channels face a non-level playing field vis-à-vis digital media, where there is no similar advertisement cap regulation.

In view of the changes in the sector, the government said it considered it necessary to revisit the provisions governing advertisement duration and concluded that adequate competition exists both within the television industry and between television and digital media.

Reacting to the government decision, NBF President and Republic Media Network Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami thanked Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and said the federation was grateful that the minister had considered its request favourably.