What is the landing page controversy? Kerala High Court’s TRP order explained

The Kerala High Court has temporarily stopped the Centre from enforcing a controversial new television ratings rule that excludes “landing page” viewership from TRP calculations. The decision has triggered fresh debate across India’s television industry, with broadcasters and cable operators sharply divided over what counts as “real” TV viewership.

At the centre of the dispute is a simple but powerful question: when viewers switch on their television and automatically see a particular channel, should that viewing be counted in TV ratings?

The answer could directly impact channel rankings, advertising revenue and the future of India’s cable television business.

What is a landing page in television?

A “landing page” is the default channel that appears automatically when a viewer switches on a set-top box.

For example, if a TV opens directly on a news channel or entertainment channel before the viewer changes anything, that channel is considered the landing page.

Cable operators often provide these placements to broadcasters through commercial agreements. Broadcasters pay for this visibility because appearing first on screen can significantly increase the chances of viewers watching that channel, even if only briefly.

Landing pages are common in India’s cable TV ecosystem, especially in regional and news broadcasting markets.

However, Direct-to-Home (DTH) platforms generally do not operate the same way, which is why the issue mainly affects cable operators.

The controversy is linked to TRP, Television Rating Points, which measure how many people are watching a TV channel.

TRPs are extremely important because they influence:

• Advertising revenue
• Channel rankings
• Market reputation
• Media buying decisions

Critics argue that landing pages artificially boost viewership numbers because viewers may not have actively chosen to watch that channel.

News broadcasters have long claimed that some channels gain an unfair advantage simply because they appear automatically when televisions are switched on.

This becomes even more significant in the television news sector, where audience shares are relatively small. Even a slight increase in ratings can dramatically change weekly rankings.

Broadcasters opposing landing pages say such placements distort fair competition and create misleading audience data.

What did the Centre change in the new TRP policy?

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry introduced the new TV Ratings Policy 2026 in March.

Under the revised rules, all landing page viewership would be excluded from TRP calculations.

The government’s position is that landing page exposure is closer to a marketing or promotional tool rather than genuine viewer choice.

In simple terms, regulators believe that if a viewer did not actively select the channel, that viewing should not influence official ratings.

Why are cable operators opposing the rule?

Cable operators argue that the new rule is too extreme.

Their main argument is that many viewers genuinely continue watching the landing page channel after turning on the TV. According to them, treating such viewing as “zero viewership” ignores actual audience behaviour.

The petitioners also told the court that landing pages are an important source of revenue for cable operators through placement agreements with broadcasters.

The industry says removing landing page ratings could financially hurt cable television businesses that are already struggling against OTT platforms, YouTube and social media streaming services.

The plea also argues that the move affects their constitutional right to carry on business under Article 19(1)(g).

The petitioners pointed out that the larger issue of landing page regulations is already pending before the Supreme Court of India.

According to them, earlier restrictions linked to landing pages had already faced legal challenges at the apex court level.

Taking note of this, the Kerala High Court ordered that the Centre’s new provision should not be implemented for now.

Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas directed authorities not to enforce the disputed clause until further orders. The next hearing is scheduled for June 19.