NEW DELHI: As part of its efforts to safeguard conventional media, the government has proposed a 27 percent increase in advertisement rates for print media. According to government sources, all preparations are in place, and an official announcement is expected next month, following the Bihar Assembly election results. Advertisement packages for television channels are also being revised.

“We have taken a decision to increase advertisement rates by 27 percent; this was a reasonable demand from all print media. A notification will be issued soon after the Bihar elections. This is part of the government's efforts to strengthen conventional media,” said sources familiar with the matter.

The advertisement rates were last revised in 2019, when the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MI&B) increased them by 25 percent. Prior to that, the rates were revised in 2013 with a 19 percent increase.

Meanwhile, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday said the government would soon introduce regulatory reforms to protect conventional media, particularly radio, amid the ongoing transition in the media sector.

“We are working on multiple levels. The transition from conventional to new forms of media has to be handled carefully. It affects people’s livelihoods and the incomes of traditional news houses, whether TV, radio, or print. For example, in the radio industry, there is a significant regulatory burden. Today, it has shrunk to almost a negligible level. The government is working to remove regulatory barriers wherever they exist,” the minister said.