NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the telecoms and broadcast regulator, now wants to discuss the issue of the landing page (the page that appears when one switches on the STB and the TV set) and its many uses and misuses with the industry stakeholders. The regulator issued a consultation paper in this regard today.

Pointing out that the practice of running a channel on multiple logical channel numbers (LCNs) allegedly for influencing television rating was brought to the notice of the regulator, the TRAI statement said. Some TV channels allegedly, in collusion, with the distributors, placed some television channels on multiple LCNs (meaning at several places in different programming genres in the EPG), it added.

“As the TV channel ratings measurement is done on the basis of a unique water mark ID of a channel, the data of viewership of all such multiple LCNs is aggregated and reflects in the final ratings,” the statement said, adding that on the receipt of complaints the TRAI intervened last year and acted as per the provision of existing regulations.

The TRAI has gone on to say that alleged irregularities in trying to influence audience measurement and subsequent data later shifted to the landing page and that it received quite a few complaints regarding the same. 

Some of the issues raised by the TRAI in its consultation paper on the landing page include the following:

· Do you feel that the emerging concept of placing TV channels on

the landing page can influence TRP ratings? Suggest the action,

which may address the issue with justification.

· Should the concept of a landing page be defined? If so, please

suggest the definition of the landing page with justification.

· Whether placing of a TV channel on the landing page increases

television ratings? If yes, why TV channels whose TV ratings

are released by a TV rating agency should not be barred from

being placed on the landing page? If no, why are broadcasters eager to place their channels on the landing page?

· What should be the criteria/consideration to put a TV

channel on a landing page?

· Can placing of TV channels on the landing page be mitigated through changes in measurement methodology of television ratings?

 · Should the landing page be used to place TV channels not

having TRP rating or only to provide platform specific

information? Give suggestions with justification.