BARC may extend news ratings blackout by three months as TRP probe deepens

Suspension likely for another three months, say industry sources

The Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC), which measures television viewership, has extended the blackout of ratings to news channels that first began in mid-October. Friday was the last day of the twelve-week suspension that was initiated by BARC in the wake of the manipulation of television rating points (TRPs) that came to light in October. Republic TV and a few other channels were named in the probe carried out by the Mumbai Police.

Business Standard has reliably learnt that the suspension of ratings for news channels is likely for another three months as the probe into the TRP racket deepens. The Mumbai Police had earlier made a few arrests including of former BARC India employees Partho Dasgupta and Romil Ramgarhia in the matter.

The probe, which was revealed by Mumbai Police on October 8, had prompted BARC to review its operations. "This review with the technical committee is ongoing. We will intimate our stakeholders at the appropriate time," a BARC India spokesperson said when contacted.

But the pause in ratings by BARC was undertaken in part to bring about changes in its measurement system as advertisers, agencies and broadcasters sought a stringent and robust mechanism to tackle data manipulation -- a problem that has dogged the viewership measurement industry for years.

Possible changes that the body was looking at included increasing the number of panel homes from 44,000 to 50,000 and the introduction of multiple checks to reduce tampering of data.

But industry sources say that it is unclear what changes BARC has introduced, since nothing has been communicated to stakeholders yet. The Indian Broadcasting Foundation, which includes the country's top TV channels, has 60 per cent representation on the BARC board. While 20 per cent each is represented by the Indian Society of Advertisers and the Advertising Agencies Association of India.

On Tuesday, a four-member committee appointed by the Information & Broadcasting Ministry to review TV viewership measurement had said that there was need for greater transparency in the ratings system. It had also indicated of the need to look at technological solutions that captured diversity and scale of viewership in India.

Media experts said that the news genre has become particularly challenging for BARC in recent years, owing to the cut-throat competition that prevails among these channels. While the share of viewership of the news genre in total viewership is only 5 per cent, their share of advertising is double that, at 10 per cent.

In recent months, advertisers have come out against excessive toxicity and hate content on news channels that is aimed at garnering viewer attention. Companies such as Bajaj Auto, Dollar and Amul have all emphasisd the need for restraint and to put a stop to hate mongering.

On Friday, Rajat Sharma, president, National Broadcasters Association, a body of news channels, said that the release of news ratings should be postponed for a few more weeks until satisfactory steps were taken to address TRP manipulation.

The Arnab-Goswami-led News Broadcasters Federation, on the other hand, said that any further withholding of data by BARC would be counterproductive.