Freedom to advertise
In a set of misguided restrictions, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, or Trai, has ordered all television channels to ensure that advertisements do not exceed 12 minutes in any given hour. These 12 minutes cannot be carried over onto later hours. Advertisements should be at least 15 minutes apart — except on movie channels, when they should be at least 30 minutes apart. There are a number of other, related proscriptions — banning drop-down advertisements, for example, and saying the average volume level of advertisements should not be greater than that of the programme they are sponsoring.