Delhi HC upholds TRAI’s 12-minute ad cap for TV channels
New Delhi: In a significant judgment affecting television broadcasters across the country, the Delhi High Court has upheld the validity of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) regulations capping advertisements at 12 minutes per clock hour, observing that there is “no constitutional guarantee of profitability or unlimited monetisation of public resources.”
A Division Bench of Justice Anil Kshetrapal and Justice Amit Mahajan dismissed a batch of 17 writ petitions filed by general entertainment channels, news broadcasters and regional channels challenging Rule 7(11) of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994 and Regulation 3 of the Standards of Quality of Service (Duration of Advertisements in Television Channels) Regulations, 2012.
