News Broadcasting

Advertisers cannot be fence-sitters in today’s time: BBC’s Rahul Sood

Published

5 years ago

November 27, 2020

NEW DELHI: 2020 has been a wild year for the news industry. On the up side, viewership skyrocketed in the wake of Covid2019 pandemic; then again, it drew aggressive flak from viewers and advertisers alike for their reportage in a number of high-profile cases, including the Sushant Singh Rajput suicide. Adding to the woes of the industry was the TRP rigging scam, which left a bitter taste in the mouth of many.

Addressing all these issues and the grave concern of brand safety that has risen in these sensitive times in a chat with Indiantelevision.com, BBC Global News MD – India and South Asia Rahul Sood shared that it is high for brands to stop sitting on the fence and take some concrete steps to ensure they are not placing their products with any content they wouldn’t want to be associated with.

He said, “I am happy that there are a few advertisers like Parle, who have taken this conscious call of taking out their ads from problematic channels. But there is still a lot of work to be done in that area. I think it’s time that advertisers start putting their money where their mouths are. The industry doesn’t need more fence-sitters as silence means compliance. This really needs to change.”

Sood added that media planners and marketers, who are the prime brand custodians, should really ponder whether they want to support the misogyny, communalism, and baseless stories that most news channels are propagating these days. “If they can’t let their children watch those channels, how can they advertise on them?”

On being asked whether TRPs are to be blamed for most of the advertisers still being cautious about taking their investments out of news channels, Sood noted that TRP numbers are not anyway reflective of the true set of audience interest, especially for English news channels.

“There are 120-odd boxes placed in some remote households, which anyway doesn’t have the audience for English news. And then with the TRP rigging scam, we saw that even that data is not authentic,” he quipped.

Sood insisted that advertisers should instead rely on currencies like subscriptions on a particular channel or website, their social media handles, and the sort of discussions that are happening online on one’s content to decide where they want to invest.

He continued, “There is also a need to do a qualitative analysis of one channel’s content and then advertise there.”

So, how’s BBC ensuring that brands find a safe environment at the network to publish their content?

“There is a very stringent advertising compliance policy that we have in place at the BBC. To add to that, our 100-year-old legacy is proof of the sort of content we create and brands can see that,” Sood explained. He also added that they are strictly against signing “private treaties” with brands.

“We are also very particular about what ads we put on our channel. For example, we will not run any ads of fairness creams, any brand communication that is racist, communal, or misogynist. We have stopped running ads of fossil brands taking cognisance of climate change. We also do not allow any individual to utilise a government platform to appear larger than life and promote himself/herself on our channels,” he elaborated.

Sood also addressed the recent Tanishq controversy and said that brands will need to stand up for themselves and not give in to bullies.

“I have friends in Pakistan, who used to tell me that they look up to India for the kind of social fabric we have, the sovereignty we display. But after the Tanishq controversy, he called me up and said ‘tum bhi hamare jaise nikle yaar…’ (‘you are also like us’). It is very embarrassing. I think, what is going on right now, and not just in India but in many other countries too, that the people in power are dog-whistling. They will divert the attention of people to things like this to stop them from focusing on the real issues,” he said.

However, he is not without hope that the current situation with several brands taking the call of removing ads from controversial channels will start a course correction within the industry.

“There is a grave deficit of trust and credibility and decaying of truth right now and I am hopeful that this will change with more brands and advertisers standing up against the content that certain channels are spewing these days. I wish there is more news and less noise and credibility in the media's work, going ahead,” he signed off.

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News Broadcasting

Barc forensic audit in TRP row awaits as Twenty-Four probe gathers pace

Published

1 week ago

February 4, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

KERALA: A forensic audit commissioned by the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India has emerged as the centrepiece of the government’s response to fresh allegations of television rating point manipulation involving a regional news channel in Kerala, with both the audit findings and a parallel police investigation still awaited.

Replying to a query in the Lok Sabha, minister of state for information and broadcasting L Murugan, said Barc had appointed an independent agency to conduct a forensic probe into the conduct of senior personnel allegedly linked to the case.

The move followed media reports claiming that a Barc employee had accepted bribes to manipulate viewership data in favour of a regional television news channel.

“The report from BARC is still awaited,” Murugan told Parliament, signalling that the forensic exercise remains ongoing.

Industry specialists say forensic audits are crucial in alleged TRP fraud cases, as they examine internal controls, data access trails, panel household integrity, staff communications and financial transactions. The outcome could determine whether the alleged manipulation was an isolated breach or a deeper systemic weakness in India’s television measurement framework.

Running alongside the audit, the Kerala Police has formed a special investigation team to probe the allegations. The ministry has sought a preliminary report from the state’s director general of police, including details of action taken on the first information report. That report, too, is yet to be submitted.

The episode has revived long-standing concerns over the vulnerability of India’s TRP system, particularly in regional news markets where competition for ratings is fierce and advertising revenues hinge on weekly viewership rankings.

India’s sole television audience measurement body Barc, has faced scrutiny before, most notably during the nationwide TRP controversy involving news channels in 2020. While tighter compliance norms were introduced in the aftermath, the latest allegations suggest enforcement challenges may persist.

On regulatory consequences, the government said any punitive action against television channels, including suspension or cancellation of uplinking and downlinking permissions, would be governed by the Policy Guidelines for Uplinking and Downlinking of Television Channels issued in November 2022, and would depend on investigation outcomes and due process.

The ministry also pointed to ongoing efforts to overhaul the ratings ecosystem. Television measurement continues to be regulated under the Policy Guidelines for Television Rating Agencies, 2014. Draft amendments were released for public consultation in July 2025, followed by a revised version in November 2025, aimed at tightening audit mechanisms and improving transparency and representativeness.

In November 2025, Barc said it had taken note of allegations aired by Malayalam news channel Twenty-Four, which linked an internal employee to irregularities in audience measurement. The council said it had engaged a “reputed independent agency” to conduct a comprehensive forensic audit, underscoring the seriousness of the claims.

The ratings system sits at the heart of India’s broadcast advertising economy, shaping billions of rupees in annual ad spends. With trust in audience data once again under strain, advertisers, broadcasters and regulators are closely watching the outcome of the investigations.

Barc has urged industry stakeholders and media organisations to exercise restraint while the probe is underway, calling for an end to “unverified or speculatory claims” and reiterating its commitment to integrity and accountability.

Until the forensic audit and police findings are submitted and reviewed, the government said it would refrain from drawing conclusions.

News Broadcasting

Rajat Sharma defamation row: Delhi court summons Congress leaders Ragini Nayak, Pawan Khera and Jairam Ramesh

Published

1 week ago

February 4, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court has ordered the summoning of senior Congress leaders Ragini Nayak, Pawan Khera and Jairam Ramesh in a criminal case filed by veteran journalist Rajat Sharma, sharpening a legal battle over alleged defamation and doctored digital content.

The order was passed on Monday by Devanshi Janmeja, judicial magistrate first class at Saket Courts, after the court found prima facie grounds to proceed under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including forgery, creation of false electronic records and defamation.

Sharma, chairman and editor-in-chief of India TV, had approached the court over allegations made in June 2024 that he had used derogatory language against Congress spokesperson Ragini Nayak during a live television debate. He denied the charge, claiming it was fuelled by a manipulated video circulated online.

According to the complaint, a clipped version of the broadcast carrying superimposed captions, which were not part of the original programme, was first shared on social media platform X by Nayak and later amplified through retweets and public statements by Khera and Ramesh. Sharma said the viral spread caused serious reputational harm and personal distress.

The court took note of forensic science laboratory findings that pointed to visible post-production alterations in the video, including added titles and captions. It also cited witness testimonies from those present during the live broadcast, who stated that no abusive or objectionable language had been used.

In a related civil matter, the Delhi High Court had earlier observed a prima facie absence of abusive remarks and directed the removal of the disputed social media posts.

With criminal proceedings now set in motion, the case adds to mounting scrutiny around political messaging, digital manipulation and accountability on social media platforms.

News Broadcasting

Mukesh Ambani, Larry Fink come together for CNBC-TV18 exclusive

Reliance and BlackRock chiefs map the future of investing as global capital eyes India

Published

2 weeks ago

February 4, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: India’s capital story takes centre stage today as Mukesh Ambani and Larry Fink sit down for a rare joint television conversation, bringing together two of the most powerful voices in global business at a moment of economic churn and opportunity.

The Reliance Industries chief and the BlackRock boss will speak with Shereen Bhan, managing editor of CNBC-TV18, in an exclusive interaction airing from 3:00 pm on February 4. The timing is deliberate. Geopolitics are tense, technology is disruptive and capital is choosier. India, meanwhile, is pitching itself as a long-term bet.

The pairing is symbolic. Reliance straddles energy transition, digital infrastructure and consumer growth in the world’s fastest-expanding major economy. BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, oversees more than $14 tn in assets and sits at the nerve centre of global capital flows. When the two talk, markets tend to listen.

Fink’s appearance marks his third India visit, a signal of the country’s rising strategic weight for the Wall Street-listed firm, which carries a market value above $177 bn. His earlier 2023 trips included an October stop in New Delhi, where he met both Ambani and Narendra Modi.

India is now central to BlackRock’s expansion plans, notably through its joint venture with Jio Financial Services. Announced in July 2023, the 50:50 venture, JioBlackRock, commits up to $150 mn each from the partners to build a digital-first asset-management platform aimed at India’s swelling investor class.

The backdrop is robust. BlackRock ended 2025 with record assets under management of $14.04 tn, helped by $698 bn in net inflows, including $342 bn in the fourth quarter alone. Scale gives Fink both heft and a long lens on where money is moving.

He has been openly bullish on India. At the Saudi-US Investment Summit in Riyadh last year, Fink argued that the “fog of global uncertainty is lifting”, with capital returning to dynamic markets such as India, drawn by reforms, demographics and durable return potential.

Expect the conversation to range beyond balance sheets, into technology’s role in finance, access to capital and the mechanics of sustainable growth in a fracturing world order. For investors and policymakers alike, it is a snapshot of how big money is thinking about India.

At a time when capital is cautious and growth is contested, India wants to be the exception. When Ambani and Fink share a stage, it is less a chat and more a signal. The world’s money is still looking for its next big story, and India intends to be it.