Govt raises print ad rates by 26% after six years, adds premiums for colour, prime slots

New Delhi: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has approved a 26% increase in government advertisement rates for print media and cleared new premium slabs for colour advertisements and preferential positioning.

As per the revised structure, the media rates for black-and-white government advertisements in print have been raised from Rs 47.40 to Rs 59.68 per sq cm for dailies with one lakh copies, reflecting a 26% hike. 

The last revision in CBC’s print ad rate card was carried out on January 9, 2019, based on the recommendations of the 8th Rate Structure Committee, and was valid for three years. 

To examine the need for a fresh revision, the government had constituted the 9th Rate Structure Committee on November 11, 2021, under the chairmanship of the Additional Secretary and Financial Adviser (I&B). 

Between November 2021 and August 2023, the committee heard representations from key newspaper bodies representing small, medium and large publishers, including the Indian Newspaper Society (INS), All India Small Newspapers Association (AISNA), and Small-Medium-Big Newspapers Society (SMBNS), among others. 

It also studied parameters such as WPI inflation for newsprint, wage costs, overall inflation, trends in imported newsprint prices and processing costs before submitting its report on September 23, 2023. 

The move is aimed at strengthening the print media ecosystem at a time of rising input costs and intensifying competition from other media platforms. 

The revised rates will apply to advertisements released through the Central Bureau of Communication (CBC), the nodal media unit under the I&B Ministry that handles publicity campaigns for various ministries and departments across empanelled print publications. 

According to the ministry, the higher rates are expected to provide crucial revenue support to newspapers, particularly small and medium titles that rely significantly on government advertising. 

Officials said the revision is intended to help print outlets cope with escalations in newsprint and operating costs over the last few years and maintain investments in quality journalism and local news coverage. 

The ministry has also framed the move as part of a broader effort to recognise the role of print in a diversified media ecosystem.