October 24, 2020 10:27:42 pm
The NBA statement comes days after the IWC filed an FIR on the alleged tampering with TV Rating Points (TRPs) based on a referral from Uttar Pradesh police.
The Association of News Broadcasters on Saturday urged the government to immediately withdraw the CBI investigation into the alleged tampering with the Television Rating Points (TRP), and said the speed with which the investigation was transferred to the agency central during the night raises doubts about intentions.
In a statement, the Association of News Broadcasters (NBA) expressed serious concern about “the open FIR registered by the Uttar Pradesh Police against the media for alleged manipulation of TRP.”
“The speed with which the case was transferred to CBI overnight raises questions about the intentions. A complaint filed against unknown persons by an individual who does not have locus standi can lead to a witch hunt against the media, its advertisers and advertising agencies, ”said the NBA.
“We sincerely urge the government to immediately withdraw the case referred to CBI,” said the media body, headed by Rajat Sharma.
The NBA statement comes days after the IWC filed an FIR on the alleged tampering with TV Rating Points (TRPs) based on a referral from Uttar Pradesh police.
The case, which was previously registered at a Lucknow police station following a complaint from a promoter of an advertising company, was handed over to the CBI by the Uttar Pradesh government, officials said.
In its statement, the NBA also said that it is very concerned about the turn of events in Mumbai, as “the confrontation between Republic TV and the Mumbai police represents a threat to the credibility and respect of two great institutions, the media. and the police. ” .
“We are deeply concerned that journalists working in the newsroom have become victims of this unfortunate conflict,” the NBA said.
“We don’t condone the kind of journalism that Republic TV practices. And although Republic TV is not a member of the NBA and does not subscribe to our Code, we still make a strong exception to the cases brought against its editorial staff, ”he said.
The NBA said it upholds the freedom of speech and expression of the media enshrined in the Indian Constitution.
“At the same time, we support the practice of ethics in journalism and put fair and balanced information at the center of what we report,” he said.
The NBA said it rebukes any attempt to target journalists doing their work in newsrooms but, on the other hand, disapproves of any “vindictive media reporting.”
“We condemn unsubstantiated story reporting that subverts and interferes with the functioning of law enforcement agencies,” the news agency said. He appealed to the Mumbai police to ensure that no journalist is a victim of this crossfire.
“We also call on journalists working with Republic TV not to cross the ‘Lakshman rekha’ as the Bombay High Court clearly observed,” the NBA said.
He also reiterated that he does not support toxic content and unethical journalism.
“The news stations are governed by the independent regulatory body, NBSA, headed by (retired) judge AK Sikri. NBSA over the years has played an extremely important role as a watchdog in monitoring the content of news channels, ”the statement said.
He has acted against well-known national and regional broadcasters by imposing fines, apologies and warnings in various matters, including coverage of the death of the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, the NBA, which is a premier association of private news and current affairs broadcasters. , He said. .
“We appeal to require non-member broadcasters to follow the Code of Ethics and the NBSA Guidelines,” he said.
Regarding the alleged TRP scam, the NBA said the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) has a mechanism to deal with such cases.
“A competent internal body headed by Judge (retired) Mukul Mudgal has the capacity and power to investigate cases related to the manipulation of TRP data. All cases related to the manipulation of the PRT must be transferred to this authority, ”the statement said.
TRPs or TV Rating Points of a channel or show are used to measure the popularity of ad agencies that affect prices.
Points are calculated in India by the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) using a device installed in more than 45,000 homes across the country called the “Bar-O-Meter”.
The device collects data on a program or channel viewed by members of these households based on weekly ratings issued by BARC.
Recently, the Mumbai Police had registered a TRP tampering case after which BARC temporarily suspended ratings.
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