ITV

Tag: Amit Mitra Committee

  • Tewari justifies rules for regulation of television audience rating agencies

    Tewari justifies rules for regulation of television audience rating agencies

    NEW DELHI: Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister Manish Tewari today addressed the attendees of the fifth CEOs round table conference organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries today. He said that the television rating points rules are an attempt to make the process transparent, credible and accountable. At the same time, the endeavour was to address aberrations in the existing rating system.

     

    Tewari added that this initiative was based on the past recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Information Technology, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and the Amit Mitra Committee.

     

    The Government had also been approached in the past by the industry stakeholders to rectify the existing flaws. The long term objective was an attempt to usher a system with defined rules within an existing framework.

     

    Meanwhile, he said the digitisation process during Phase III and IV would have to focus on the interest of the consumers in order to ensure that they were partners in the process rather than adversaries.

     

    For this purpose, the industry would have to run a focussed consumer awareness campaign, whereby the consumer would have to be sensitized about the benefits accruing from this process.
     

    Tewari said the campaign would have to focus on improved quality of viewing and related qualitative benefits accruing to the consumer as a result of the implementation process. The lessons of the implementation during Phase I and Phase II would also have to be taken into account while outlining the implementation roadmap for the remaining phases.

     

    For digitization to succeed, the industry would have to make efforts to ensure that the consumer was an integral component in the digitisation value chain. At the same time, the comprehensive approach would also ensure the emergence of viable business model for the industry.

    On the issue of monopolies in the cable TV sector, Tewari said that regulator had already made its recommendation and the issues involved were being examined by the Inter Ministerial Committee (IMC).

     

    The Minister also said that the regulatory framework ought to be stable and transparent for all stakeholders for the broadcasting sector to grow. This would ensure orderly growth for the sector in the long run

  • Trai seeks industry’s views on TV ratings system

    MUMBAI: In an effort to create a reliable television rating system, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) today issued a paper to deal with issues of establishing an accreditation mechanism for the rating agency and methodology of audience measurement.

    The consultation paper titled “Guidelines/Accreditation Mechanism for Television Rating Agencies in India” also seeks to get the views of stakeholders on sample size, secrecy of sample homes, cross holding between rating agencies and their users, complaint redressal, sale and use of ratings, disclosure and reporting requirement, competition in rating services, and audit.

    The consultation paper aims to lay down comprehensive guidelines/accreditation mechanism for TRP (television rating points) rating agencies in India to ensure transparency and accountability in the rating system. Written comments have been invited by 9 May with any cross-comments by 16 May.

    The Consultation paper has been issued at the behest of the Information & Broadcasting ministry, which had earlier received a report from the Amit Mitra Committee on the matter.

    The Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) has since been working with the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and the Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA) to set up the Broadcasting Audience Rating Council (BARC) as an alternative to TAM.

    “Incorrect ratings will lead to production of content which may not be really popular while good content and programmes may be left out. Therefore, there is a need to have an accurate measurement and representative television ratings for the programmes,” the Trai says.

    Seeking to ensure “fair competition, better standard and quality of services”, the government had asked the Trai to draft recommendations on comprehensive guidelines and accreditation mechanism for agencies involved in measuring television rating points.

    The consultation paper also outlines suggestions on the eligibility criteria for ratings agencies. Some of the suggested criteria include –
    a. The rating agency should be set up and registered as a company under the Companies Act, 1956.

    b. The Rating Agency should have, in its Memorandum of Association, specified rating activity as one of its main objects.

    c. The rating agency should have a minimum net worth (say rupees five crore).

    d. The rating agency should have professional competence, financial soundness and general reputation of fairness and integrity in business transactions, to the satisfaction of the Government;

    e. Rating agency should meet the prescribed cross holding requirements.

    Another key area that the consultation paper touches upon is the issue of cross holding between a ratings agency and its user. It has asked stakeholders to comment/suggest on the guidelines of cross holding of ratings agency which may include:

    a. There should be no cross holding between the rating agencies and broadcasters, advertisers, media agencies and advertising agencies.

    b. This cross-holding restriction should also be applicable in respect of individual promoters besides being applicable to legal entities.

    c. No single company/ legal person, either directly or through its associates or inter-connected undertakings, shall have substantial equity holding in more than one rating agency. Similarly no single company/ legal person, either directly or through its associates or inter-connected undertakings, shall have substantial equity in both rating agencies and broadcasters/advertisers/ media agencies/advertising agencies. Substantial equity could be defined as certain percentage (say 10% or more) of paid equity

    d. A promoter company/ legal person/ directors of the rating agency cannot have stakes in any broadcaster, advertiser and advertising agency either directly or through its associates or inter-connected undertakings.