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Tag: news genre ratings

  • NBF implores Barc India to resume TV ratings

    NBF implores Barc India to resume TV ratings

    Mumbai: The News Broadcasters Federation (NBF) has once again written to Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc) India seeking immediate resumption of TV ratings for news channels. The letter dated 28 January is addressed to the chairperson and members of the board of directors of Barc India.

    The ratings for news channels were suspended in October 2020 and are yet to be resumed despite the I&B ministry’s directive.

    Highlighting that its member news channels have been paying Barc subscriptions even during the blackout period of 16 months, the NBF implored Barc to release the news genre data by 3 February 2022 (Thursday). However, no data has been released till the filing of the report.

    “We would like to bring to light how numerous advertisers, have publicly and individually, iterated the need for the return of ratings. In absence of ratings, the entire industry is suffering and faces a steeper challenge with every delay by Barc,” NBF stated.

    The representative body also highlighted that in a sworn affidavit dated 17 August 2021, the Bombay high court had stated that the defendant (referring to Barc) will restore access to the weekly channel data as and when, and if, this is permitted by the government or the regulator. If on the other hand, the government permits the release of all weekly channel data, including for past periods, the defendant will supply that to the plaintiffs. “Now that the government has categorically called for the release of ratings, it is baffling and unfathomable why Barc is refusing to act,” wrote NBF.

    The ministry of information and broadcasting (I&B) on 12 January 2021 had asked Barc to release news ratings with immediate effect and also release the last three months’ data. When queried by a journalist on Twitter, TRP committee chairperson Shashi Shekhar Vempati also stated, “I am hopeful that ratings for the news genre are resumed at the earliest. I see no reason for Barc India to further delay the matter.”

    While the rating agency has decided to remain mum on the issue, several news reports have indicated that ratings will return only in March.

  • TV9 withdraws from NBDA over news ratings issue

    TV9 withdraws from NBDA over news ratings issue

    Mumbai: News broadcaster TV9 Network has announced its decision to withdraw its membership of News Broadcasters and Digital Association (NBDA) over the latter’s stance on the issue of resuming TV news ratings.

    Just a day after the government gave its go-ahead to Barc India to release the ratings, NBDA called upon the TV rating agency to take “some additional measures” before releasing the data. This included steps to make the systems more transparent, robust, and reliable, as well as to ensure that there is no manual intervention at any step in the rating process.

    In his letter to the association on Friday, Das said, “We, TV9 network, a full member of NBDA, do not subscribe to this view of NBDA Board. This seems to be a viewpoint of select members of the association and certainly not that of the entire NBDA.” He also wrote an open letter expressing his disappointment over the association’s alleged attempts to stall the ratings by raising doubts over the credibility of the Barc data.

    On Wednesday, the information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry directed Barc India to immediately resume news ratings which had been hanging fire since October 2020. The decision to resume ratings came at the back of sustained efforts of several news channels, working with various stakeholders for over one year.

    “As a full member of NBDA, we have tried to reason with NBDA repeatedly but to no avail. I am not sure whether the association actually wants the ratings to resume at all. The latest communication only makes a bad situation for the news industry worse” he wrote further, “. On the contrary, NBDA has been expressing views in public, on the most critical issue pertaining to the news genre, which I am completely in disagreement with. Therefore, I am left with no option but to withdraw from NBDA with immediate effect.”

    According to Das, the stalling of ratings has “imperiled the news genre viability from a revenue perspective”, which he termed as an “unfair trade practice”. “The news genre is being put to disadvantage as more and more advertisers threaten to walk out. Here again, genuine interests of the news TV industry are being compromised,” he wrote.

    TV9 Network is also a member of the News Broadcasters Federation, another representative body of broadcasters that had been imploring the government to resume TRPs for news channels for over a year.

    Also read : News genre ratings: Broadcasters question ‘curious delay’; NBDA calls for additional measures

  • Barc to resume news genre ratings with immediate effect: MIB

    Barc to resume news genre ratings with immediate effect: MIB

    Mumbai: The ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) has asked Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc) India to resume TV audience measurement ratings for the news genre with immediate effect and also release three months of data for the genre in a monthly format.

    As per the revised system, the reporting of news and niche genres shall be on a four-week rolling average concept. “This is to ensure fair, equitable representation of true trends,” said MIB in a statement on Wednesday. 

    The ministry has also set up a ‘working group’ under the chairmanship of the Prasar Bharati CEO for the consideration of leveraging the Return Path Data (RPD) capabilities for the use of TRP services, as also recommended by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) and the TRP committee report. The committee shall submit its report in four months’ time.

    In a statement, the I&B ministry said, “In the spirit of the TRP committee report and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI’s) recommendation dated 28.04.2020, M/s Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) has undertaken revision in its processes, protocols, oversight mechanism and initiated changes in governance structure etc.  The reconstitution of the board and the technical committee to allow for the induction of independent members have also been initiated by BARC.  A permanent oversight committee has also been formed. The access protocols for data have been revamped and tightened.”

    According to MIB, Barc has indicated that in view of changes undertaken by it, they are reaching out to related constituencies to explain the new proposals and are in readiness to actually commence the release as per the new protocols.