TRP numbers controversy: How does BARC measure TV viewership in India?

With spotlight on alleged manipulation of viewership data, Business Standard decodes the system used to measure TV viewership in India

The manipulation of television viewership data by a few channels as indicated by the Mumbai Police on Thursday has put the spotlight on the company that brings out this crucial piece of information on which advertising decisions are based. That firm is the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), an industry body, which was set up in response to an earlier issue involving viewership data brought out by TAM Media Research. Set up in 2010, BARC began its TV viewership measurement service after much deliberation in April 2015, with coverage of cable and satellite homes in towns with a population of