HC asks TRP rating firm to give info on shares, clients online

The Delhi High Court today asked TV rating agency Kantar Market Research Services Pvt Ltd to provide details of its cross share holding and clients on its website as a transparency measure in the wake of government guidelines in this regard.
The court observed this while hearing a petition filed by Kantar Market Research, which has 50 per cent shares in television rating agency TAM Media, challenging Information and Broadcasting Ministry's policy on TV rating agencies.
A bench of Justice Manmohan said this after senior counsel Harish Salve, who appeared for Kantar Market Research, agreed to furnish an undertaking by tomorrow to give the requisite information on its website.

Salve told the bench that the firm had problem only with a clause of the guidelines of the I&B Ministry which bars the company from having cross holding of 10 per cent or more in TV rating companies or advertising agencies.
He argued that as there was no law which regulates TV rating companies, the guidelines should have first been placed and debated in the Parliament.
He said that the guidelines were "dangerously close to the fundamental right to freedom and will force TAM Media Research to shut down".
Earlier, the court had declined to stay the guidelines, which bar any single entity from having paid-up equity in excess of 10 per cent simultaneously in both a rating agency and a broadcaster, advertiser or advertising agency to ensure fair ratings.

However, Justice Manmohan said that he would hear the matter tomorrow.