TRAI Repeals 12-Minute TV Advertisement Cap Regulations After Centre Removes Ceiling
New Delhi, September 10: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has repealed its 2012 regulations that prescribed a ceiling of 12 minutes of advertisements in a clock hour of television programming, following the Central Government’s removal of the corresponding advertisement-duration cap under the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994.
TRAI issued the Standards of Quality of Service (Duration of Advertisements in Television Channels) (Repealing) Regulations, 2026 (4 of 2026) on September 10, repealing the Standards of Quality of Service (Duration of Advertisements in Television Channels) Regulations, 2012 (15 of 2012), along with all orders and directions issued under them. The repeal will take effect from the date of notification in the Official Gazette.
The 2012 regulations prescribed a ceiling of 12 minutes of advertisements during a clock hour of programme broadcast. They also empowered TRAI to issue orders or directions to service providers to protect subscribers’ interests or ensure compliance with the regulations.
According to TRAI, the regulations were primarily intended to monitor and enforce, as a quality-of-service measure, the advertisement-duration ceiling contained in Rule 7(11) of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, through a notification published in the Official Gazette on August 21, 2026, omitted Rule 7(11), thereby removing the 12-minute advertisement-duration cap for television channels. TRAI said the cap was removed in view of significant changes in the television broadcasting sector and increased competition and consumer choice, as well as to enable fair competition and ease of doing business in the sector.
Following the Central Government’s decision, TRAI said continuation of its corresponding regulatory provisions would be inconsistent with the amended Cable Television Networks Rules.
The Authority therefore decided to repeal the 2012 regulations and all orders and directions issued under them to maintain regulatory alignment with the Central Government’s decision. The repeal will become effective when the 2026 repealing regulations are issued in the Official Gazette.
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