Govt. Expenditure On Internet Ads Rises; Spending On TV, Print Falls

The Centre’s advertising expenditure on television and print mediums in 2018-19 fell to the same level as 2014-15, The Indian Express has reported.

This, even as the government’s spending on internet ads witnessed a four-fold rise during the same period.

Despite this jump, expenditure on internet ads remains a small portion of the total money spent on advertising by the Centre.

The Narendra Modi-led government had spent over Rs 5,700 crore between May 2014 and March 2019, in its first term on advertising.

A large chunk of this advertising expenditure went for print and television ads. While TV ads cost the Centre just over Rs 2,600 crore, print ads cost Rs 2,379.

The amount spent on advertising on the internet was Rs 59 crore during the five year period, the report adds. However, expenditure on internet ads increased steadily over five years.

In 2014-15, it was Rs 6.64 crore. This increased to Rs 26.95 crore in 2018-2019. Money spent on internet ads for 2015-2016, 2016- 2017 and 2017-2018 was Rs 14.12 crore, Rs 6.97 crore and Rs 5 crore, respectively.

According to the report, in the last 100 days of its term, between December 2018 and March 10, 2019 – when the model code of conduct was imposed for the Lok Sabha polls – the Centre spent over Rs 360 crore. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report.

The government spent a total of Rs 129 crore for ads on Doordarshan and Rs 131 crore for ads on All India Radio, in five years.

The Bureau of Outreach and Communication (BOC) is the nodal agency of the government for advertising by various ministries and organisations, including public sector undertakings and autonomous bodies.―Money Control