Govt approves revised rates for its ads on TV channels, no

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has approved the revised rates for government advertisements on television channels.
The new rates will be effective from next month on an interim basis for the already empanelled private TV channels for which they need to submit certain documents by June 21, a DAVP official said.
The Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP) is the nodal agency of the government for advertising on behalf of various ministries, departments, public sector units and other autonomous organizations which are funded by the government.
The advertisement rates were last revised in 2012. The new rates will be applicable till December 2018.

The official said there is no flat increase in the rates and it would vary from channel to channel depending on various factors, including television viewer ratings -- a measure of viewership of a particular television program.
According to the ministry's 'Office Memorandum', dated June 8, there will be five time bands for news channels, attracting different rates with a 'premium factor'.

There will be six time bands for general entertainment channel.
The government has also finalised policy guidelines for empanelment of private cable and satellite television channels with the DAVP.
The policy makes a minimum telecast period of six months with at least 17 hours per day -- 0600 hrs to 2300 hrs -- mandatory for empanelment.