The ratings hold applies to all English, Hindi, regional, and commercial news channels.
New Delhi:
The television rating agency BARC (Broadcast Audience Research Council) has decided to pause the weekly ratings of news channels for three months while it reviews its system amid the dispute over alleged manipulation of audience ratings by three channels .
The ratings hold applies to all English, Hindi, regional and commercial news channels.
In a statement issued today, the rating agency said the measure is to “review and increase current standards for measuring and reporting niche genre data, to improve its statistical robustness and significantly hamper possible attempts to infiltrate the panel houses “. .
“… starting with the ‘News Genre’, BARC will stop publishing weekly individual ratings for all news channels during the exercise. This exercise is expected to last between 8 and 12 weeks including validation and testing under BARCs Tech Comm oversight. BARC will continue to publish weekly audience estimates for the news genre by state and language, “BARC said.
Republic TV is among the three channels being investigated for allegedly gaming ratings and their use to spread false narratives and earn advertising revenue. The other two are local channels in Maharashtra called Fakt Marathi and Box Cinema.
Two television channel owners have been arrested and the directors and promoters of Republic TV are being investigated for rating fraud.
Republic TV is the biggest name to come up in the initial investigation into the false ratings scam with viewers testifying that they had been paid to keep the channel on even when they weren’t watching.
Welcoming BARC’s decision, the News Broadcasters Association said the ratings suspension period “will be used to implement major reforms at BARC.”
“Recent revelations have discredited the measurement agency and, by extension, the media. Corrupt, compromised, and irrationally fluctuating data is creating a false narrative about What India Watch and has been pressuring our members to respond to editorial calls that go against the journalistic values and ideals of journalism, “said Rajat Sharma, president of the News Broadcasters Association.
.
