)
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) on Wednesday said the number of panel homes used to collect television audience measurement (TAM) should be raised to 20,000 from the current figure of 9,602. The regulator also recommended that the panel size should increase by 10,000 every year until it touches 50,000 panel homes.
According to industry officials, the move could cost TAM Media Research, the only agency in India currently measuring viewership data, an additional Rs 200-300 crore. The agency spends about Rs 2 lakh per panel home.
Trai’s recommendations come nearly a year after the information and broadcasting ministry asked the regulator to provide recommendations on the creation of guidelines for television viewership rating agencies. Television channels have often questioned the reliability of the ratings.
Trai said if the recommendations were considered by the I&B ministry, the ministry should provide two months to notify the guidelines to the agencies. However, there was no comment on the funding for measuring the data. According to sources, TAM Media Research uses internal funds to help its business while there have been allegation of external funding to fudge the data.
TAM was not available for comment on the recommendations laid out by Trai. “To say whether 20,000 homes is enough or not is very difficult. Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) is undertaking an establishment survey and the findings are expected in December this year. We will have a better picture about the sample size then,” said a person in the know.
Television ratings often influence the content and programmes produced for viewers and the correctness of the ratings is extremely important as it directly impacts resources allocated by broadcasters for producing content.
Trai also said the minimum networth of companies willing to become television rating agencies will be Rs 20 crore.
Three years ago, a FICCI committee led by the then secretary-general Amit Mitra had suggested that the ideal size should be 30,000 panel homes and that the industry should provide funding of Rs 660 crore to TAM.
Trai has also suggested that panel homes should be selected from a pool which is at least 10 times the number of panel homes for audience measurement. In addition, the regulator has also recommended restrictions on substantial equity holding of 10 per cent or more between rating agencies, broadcasters, advertisers and advertising agencies.
“No single company or legal entity, either directly or through its associates or inter-connected undertakings, shall have substantial equity in rating agencies and broadcasters or advertising agencies. A promoter company or a member of the Board of Directors of the rating agency also cannot have stakes in any broadcaster or advertising agency either directly or through its associates or interconnected agencies,” said the recommendations.
The authority has also recommended that the data generated by the rating agency has to be made available on a paid basis to all the interested stakeholders in a transparent and equitable manner.
According to industry officials, the move could cost TAM Media Research, the only agency in India currently measuring viewership data, an additional Rs 200-300 crore. The agency spends about Rs 2 lakh per panel home.
Trai’s recommendations come nearly a year after the information and broadcasting ministry asked the regulator to provide recommendations on the creation of guidelines for television viewership rating agencies. Television channels have often questioned the reliability of the ratings.
Trai said if the recommendations were considered by the I&B ministry, the ministry should provide two months to notify the guidelines to the agencies. However, there was no comment on the funding for measuring the data. According to sources, TAM Media Research uses internal funds to help its business while there have been allegation of external funding to fudge the data.
TAM was not available for comment on the recommendations laid out by Trai. “To say whether 20,000 homes is enough or not is very difficult. Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) is undertaking an establishment survey and the findings are expected in December this year. We will have a better picture about the sample size then,” said a person in the know.
Television ratings often influence the content and programmes produced for viewers and the correctness of the ratings is extremely important as it directly impacts resources allocated by broadcasters for producing content.
Trai also said the minimum networth of companies willing to become television rating agencies will be Rs 20 crore.
Three years ago, a FICCI committee led by the then secretary-general Amit Mitra had suggested that the ideal size should be 30,000 panel homes and that the industry should provide funding of Rs 660 crore to TAM.
Trai has also suggested that panel homes should be selected from a pool which is at least 10 times the number of panel homes for audience measurement. In addition, the regulator has also recommended restrictions on substantial equity holding of 10 per cent or more between rating agencies, broadcasters, advertisers and advertising agencies.
“No single company or legal entity, either directly or through its associates or inter-connected undertakings, shall have substantial equity in rating agencies and broadcasters or advertising agencies. A promoter company or a member of the Board of Directors of the rating agency also cannot have stakes in any broadcaster or advertising agency either directly or through its associates or interconnected agencies,” said the recommendations.
The authority has also recommended that the data generated by the rating agency has to be made available on a paid basis to all the interested stakeholders in a transparent and equitable manner.
