The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) has granted an interim hike of 19 per cent in the existing rates of government ads in print media. This will be effective from October 15, and the decision was taken in consultation with the Ministry of Finance and Election Commission of India.
The I&B Minister Manish Tewari said according to the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP) print media advertisement policy, a rate structure committee is to be constituted every three years to consider revision of rates. He said while the 7th Rate Structure Committee was constituted in May, it is expected to submit its recommendations soon. Since the validity of the last rate card was effective only till October 14, it has now been decided to grant an interim hike of 19 per cent in the existing DAVP rate for print media advertisement, he added.
The new rates will be effective from October 15 till a revised Print Media Advertisement Rate Structure is finalised, Tewari said.
While the DAVP releases ads worth Rs 410 crore in print media every year, the impact of the hike is expected to be around Rs 2,000 crore, considering PSUs and state governments follow similar rates.
The Consultative Committee of the Ministry, which met on Monday, also discussed the Leveson Report (Leveson Inquiry was a judicial inquiry commissioned by the UK government into the culture, practices and ethics of the British Press) and its relevance and implications in the Indian context. Tewari said the common thread that ran through the discussions was the need for the process of continuous broad-based discussion, accounting with for changes across the media space, including broadcasting and new media.
meenakshi.v@thehindu.co.in