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Tag: Republic TV

  • Mumbai Police, Republic TV face off again

    Mumbai Police, Republic TV face off again

    NEW DELHI: The Mumbai Police on Thursday said it has uncovered a TRP manipulation racket involving Republic TV. Two Marathi channels are also under investigation in the case.

    With executives from the Republic – which claims to have the highest ratings among news outlets – being called in for questioning tomorrow, the channel dismissed the allegations and slammed the police for being vengeful.

    "We have busted a fake TRP racket involving Republic TV and two Marathi channels – Fakt Marathi and Box Cinema. The owners of the Marathi channels have been arrested," Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh said in a press conference.

    Republic TV has released a clarification on Twitter dismissing the allegations made against it by the Mumbai Police as “false.” The channel also accused police commissioner Param Bir Singh of a personal vendetta “because we have questioned him in Sushant Singh Rajput Case investigation.”

    The news network claimed that there are no mentions of Republic TV in any Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) report and threatened to file a criminal defamation case against the Mumbai Police.

    Following this controversy, BARC also issued a statement, promising to cooperate with the Mumbai police in their probe.

    “As in all our previous cases of suspected panel homes intrusions, BARC India continues to follow its established vigilance and disciplinary guidelines. BARC remains steadfastly true to its purpose to accurately and faithfully report ‘What India Watches. BARC India appreciates the efforts of the Mumbai Police and will provide the support asked of it,” a BARC spokesperson said.

    Detailing how the alleged scam operated, Singh said that the accused would ask certain households in Mumbai to keep some channels on even while they were not watching them. “One accused has been arrested with Rs 20 lakh seized while Rs 8.5 lakh has been found in a bank locker.”

    He added that bank accounts of the accused channels will be investigated properly, along with their sources of ad revenue. If any criminal activities are observed, further action will be taken against them.

    One of the arrested persons reportedly used to work with a company under BARC. Some of the wanted accused people are past and existing employees of Hansa Research Group Pvt Ltd and they have misused confidential data which had been entrusted to them.

    Hansa Research CEO Praveen Nijhara clarified, "This is with reference to the media reports regarding TRP ratings being manipulated. Hansa Research and BARC conducted an investigation into the matter over the last few weeks, the conclusion of which resulted in Hansa Research filing an FIR against an ex-employee who was engaged in some wrongdoing. Hansa Research has always been vigilant about these issues and has been proactive in informing BARC and the law enforcement agencies as and when such cases have come to our notice. We would continue to cooperate with BARC and with the authorities as and when called upon to do so.”

  • Republic to operate in six languages by March 2021

    Republic to operate in six languages by March 2021

    NEW DELHI: Republic Media Network will be operating in six languages, including its existing Hindi and English portfolio, by March 2021, Arnab Goswami told Indiantelevision.com in a fireside chat with its founder, CEO, and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari. 

    “We are going to be operating in six languages on digital platforms by early next year and we are also looking at broadcast options and are open to doing partnerships, ventures, mergers and acquisitions, and controlling equity for that. Our business team is exploring all the options,” Goswami elaborated. 

    He shared that the plans have got a little delayed because of the Covid2019 pandemic but the team is actively working on expanding the Republic offerings across the country. 

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    However, right now, his priority is strengthening Republic Bharat’s digital presence. “I have invested in real estate and teams and am planning to launch Republic Bharat on a digital platform in a big way,” he said. 

    Goswami noted that the larger plan is to take Republic to each and every corner of the country and work in at least 10 Indian languages.

  • Bhaskar Das made chief strategy officer for Republic Media Network

    Bhaskar Das made chief strategy officer for Republic Media Network

    NEW DELHI: Republic TV has elevated Bhaskar Das to the role of chief strategy officer, from his role as group president, channel founder MD and editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami confirmed to Indiantelevision.com in an exclusive fireside chat moderated by its founder, CEO, and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari. 

    The elevation is a part of Goswami’s bigger plans to give the reigns of major company roles in the sales and distribution space to his team, so he can focus more on his editorial responsibilities. 

    Additionally, group CFO S Sundaram has been handed over the additional responsibilities as the new group president. He has played a key role in sorting the financial dealings for the group during the recent buyout of shares by Goswami. 

    A few weeks earlier, Repbulic had also announced the elevation of Hersh Bhandari and Priya Mukherjee to COOs. 

    Bhandari who was earlier serving as EVP (revenue) was handed over the responsibility to manage Republic Bharat as COO and Mukherjee, who was serving as president, distribution and international revenue was made COO–distribution, international revenue and OTT.

    Goswami mentioned, “I have faith in my people. I think they'll do a great job and I think it was the right time for them to fly solo on their own so I can go back to what I wanted to do, after all. I didn't start Republic to sit into account and do sales. I think I'll be very free now and fantastic.” 

  • In week 35, Arnab Goswami rules the Indian news waves

    In week 35, Arnab Goswami rules the Indian news waves

    BENGALORE: The Arnab Goswami led English News channel Republic TV and Hindi News channel Republic Bharat both topped the news genre in their respective languages in Week 35 (Saturday, 29 August 2020 to Friday, 4 September 2020, week or period under review) based on Broadcast Audience Research Council of India weekly data put up in the public domain. And based on the breakup of rural and urban markets, Republic Bharat was the most watched news channel in both markets.

    The News genre has been losing viewership steam that it had gained during the COVID2019 weeks. It was the Republic Network that first questioned the conclusion of suicide arrived at by the Mumbai Police without any preliminary investigations or autopsy on Rajput. The coverage of the shenanigans of the Maharashtra chief minister Thakerey’s party members over the issue as well as utterances by the ruling Shiv Sena’s authorised spokesperson Sanjay Raut against Kangana Ranaut, a female Indian actor only helped boosting Republic TV and Republic Bharat viewership. Has Thakerey bitten off more than he can chew?

    Read our coverage on Arnab Goswami

    BARC data for top 5 English News channels for week 35 of 2020 shows that Republic TV led its genre by far with 6.563 million weekly impressions. Following far behind at rank 2 was Times Now with just about one third the ratings at 2.194 million weekly impressions. At rank 3 in Week 35 of 2020 was CNN News18 with 1.505 million weekly impressions. DD India at rank 4 garnered 1.405 million weekly impressions followed by India Today Television with 1.381 million weekly impressions at rank 5.

    According to a Tweet, that has not been verified by www.indiantelevision.com , Republic TV had an all-time band market share of 51.40 percent in week 35 of 2020. In the case of week days in the time band of 2100 to 2300 hours Republic TV had a market share of 60.28 percent.

    As mentioned above, Republic Bharat led the Hindi News genres in the combined as well as the individual urban and rural Hindi speaking markets – HSM (U+R), HSM (U), HSM (R).

    Read our coverage on BARC

    Republic Bharat scored 287.062 million weekly impressions in HSM (U+R) in Week 35 of 2020, about 45 percent more than the India Today group’s flagship Hindi News channel Aaj Tak which was ranked 2 with 198.245 million weekly impressions. At rank 3, was TV9 Bharatvarsh with 168.764 million closely followed by India TV at fourth rank with 165.444 million weekly impressions. At fifth rank in HSM (U+R) was News18 India with 134.583 million weekly impressions.

    In HSM (U), Republic Bharat led with 168.824 million weekly impressions followed by Aaj Tak with 110.739 million weekly impressions at second place in Week 35 of 2020. At rank 3 was India TV with 99.544 million weekly impressions while at the fourth place was TV9 Bharatvarsh with 90.901 million weekly impressions. At fifth rank was News18 India with 82.699 million weekly impressions in week 35 of 2020 in HSM (U).

    In HSM (R), Republic was ranked first with 118.328 million weekly impressions in Week 35 of 2020. Aaj Tak was ranked second with 87.507 million weekly impressions followed by TV9 Bharatvarsh with 77.863 million weekly impressions. India TV was ranked fourth with 65.900 million weekly impressions. At rank 5 was News18 India with 51.884 million weekly impressions in the HSM (R) in Week 35 of 2020.

  • Bombay high court suspend 2 FIRs against Arnab Goswami

    Bombay high court suspend 2 FIRs against Arnab Goswami

    MUMBAI: Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami was given an interim relief by Bombay high court on Tuesday as it suspended two FIRs against him for allegedly making provocating and inflammatory statements over Palgarh lynchings and gathering of migrant workers outside Bandra railway station. He was being questioned for giving a communal twist to the events. 

    The court further added that no coercive steps to be taken against him until  further orders as there is no prima facie case made and no offences have been disclosed against Goswami. 

    The court said, “It will be would be wrong to say that petitioner had made the statement in broadcast with a view to defame or insult the feelings of any religious group or community.” 

  • Galwan Valley skirmish boosts news channels’ viewership in week 24

    Galwan Valley skirmish boosts news channels’ viewership in week 24

    BENGALURU: The Indo-Chinese skirmish at the Galwan Valley in Ladakh on 15 June has grown Hindi news television consumption in Week 24 of 2020 (Saturday, 13 June 2020 to Friday, 19 June 2020, week or period under review) according to Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) data for top 5 Hindi and English News channels. The combined consumption of the Top 5 Hindi Hews channels in urban and rural Hindi speaking markets or HSM (U+R) and English News in India viewership increased 32.7 percent and 43.3 percent respectively in Week 24 of 2020 as compared to the previous week. Consumption of News on Bangla, Marathi, Oriya, Tamil and Telugu News channels also increased week-on-week in Week 24 of 2020 by varying percentages, while Assamese, Kannada and Malayalam News channels experienced viewership dips.

    And from the dip in viewership of Top 5 Hindi GEC channels during prime time, it seems that news channels have eaten into the viewership of Hindi GEC and movie channels. The combined weekly impressions of the Top 5 Hindi GEC programmes in HSM (U+R) during primetime (1800 to 2330 hours) declined 35.1 percent in Week 24 of 2020 as compared to Week 23. The combined weekly impressions of the Top 5 Hindi movies programmes in HSM (U+R) also declined 12.6 percent during the week under review as compared to the previous week.

    Hindi news in HSM (U+R)

    Hindi news in HSM (U+R) saw combined viewership increase by 32.7 percent week-on-week during the period under review as mentioned above. There were two new channels in BARC’s weekly list of Top 5 Hindi news channels in HSM (U+R) in Week 24 of 2020 as compared to Week 23.  Two channels – ABP News and News18 India exited the list. The India Today Group's Aaj Tak retained its unassailable first rank in Week 24 of 2020 with a 44.2 percent growth in weekly impressions to 295.275 million from 204.732 million. India TV also retained second rank with 31.1 percent growth to 222.917 million weekly impressions from 170.011 million weekly impressions.

    Zee News entered the Top 5 Hindi news channels in HSM (U+R) list with 191.303 million weekly impressions. Republic Bharat dropped a place to fourth rank despite a 24.3 percent growth with 189.378 million weekly impressions in Week 24 of 2020 from 152.387 million weekly impressions in Week 23. TV9 Bharatvarsh also entered the list with 188.800 million weekly impressions.

    Hindi news in HSM (U)

    The Top 5 Hindi news channels in HSM (U) saw consumption increase 30.2 percent week-on-week to 674.607 million weekly impressions from 518.345 million weekly impressions in the previous week. Four of the channels in BARC’s weekly list of Top 5 Hindi news channels in HSM (U) in Week 24 were the same as in the previous week – one channel that exited it was ABP News, which was replaced by Zee News.

    Aaj Tak led the list with 41.1 percent growth to 181.668 million weekly impressions in Week 24 of 2020 from 128.777 million weekly impressions in the previous week. India TV also retained its second place in Week 24 of 2020 with 25.9 percent growth to 143.173 million weekly impressions as compared to 113.737 million weekly impressions. News18 India climbed a place to third rank in BARC’s weekly list of Top 5 Hindi news channels in HSM (U) with 28.7 percent growth to 118.688 million weekly impressions in Week 24 of 2020 from 92.195 million weekly impressions in the previous week. Zee News entered the list in Week 24 of 2020 with 117.349 million weekly impressions. Republic Bharat dropped two places to fifth rank with 21.9 percent growth to 113.729 million weekly impressions from 93.275 million weekly impressions.

    Hindi news in HSM (R)

    The Top 5 Hindi news channels in HSM (R) saw consumption increase 38.8 percent week-on-week to 426.774 million weekly impressions from 307.400 million weekly impressions. Four of the channels in BARC’s Top 5 Hindi news channels in HSM (U) in Week 24 were the same as in the previous week – as in the case of Hindi news channels in HSM (U+R) one channel that exited it was ABP News and was replaced by Zee News.

    Aaj Tak at first rank, saw a growth of 49.6 percent to 113.607 million weekly impressions in Week 24 of 2020 from 75.995 million weekly impressions. TV9 Bharatvarsh climbed up a place to second rank with a 44 percent growth to 83.820 million weekly impressions from 58.214 million weekly impressions. India TV climbed two places to third rank in Week 24 of 2020 with 41.7 percent growth to 79.744 million weekly impressions from 58.214 million weekly impressions.  Republic Bharat dropped two places to fourth rank with 28 percent growth in Week 24 of 2020 to 75.649 million weekly impressions from 59.112 million weekly impressions. Zee News entered the list at fifth rank with 93.594 million weekly impressions.

    English news

    As mentioned above, the Top 5 English news channels saw a 43.3 percent increase to 15.310 million weekly impressions in Week 24 of 2020 from 10.687 million weekly impressions in the previous week. All the five channels in the list in Week 24 of 2020 was the same with shuffling of ranks as in Week 23. Retaining first rank with a 56.5 percent growth to 5.582 million weekly impressions in Week 24 of 2020 from 3.567 million weekly impression was the Arnab Goswami led Republic TV. Also retaining its previous week’s second week with 31.9 percent growth to 3.565 million weekly impressions in Week 24 of 2020 from 2.703 million weekly impressions in Week 23 was Times Now. India Today Television climbed up a place to third rank with a growth of 61.6 percent to 2.389 million weekly impressions in Week 24 of 2020 from 1.478 million weekly impressions in the previous week. CNN News18 dropped a place to fourth rank with a growth of 39.9 percent to 2.272 million weekly impressions in Week 24 of 2020 from 1.624 million weekly impressions in Week 23. DD India also retained its previous week’s fifth rank with a growth of 14.2 percent to 1.502 million weekly impressions in the week under review from 1.315 million weekly impressions in Week 23 of 2020.

  • Republic TV continues to lead English News viewership

    Republic TV continues to lead English News viewership

    BENGALURU: There is rarely any middle ground as far as Republic TV Editor Arnab Goswami is concerned. Either you like him or you hate him. On his ‘debates’, which sometimes include long monologues by Goswami who is supposed moderator of the ‘debates’ either you agree with him or you disagree with him. But then this is what India seems to like – his completely nationalistic brouhaha, his often brutal coercions that often fail to impress the coerced, his interpretations of the statusco, his interruptions – this is what sets him a class apart – no other news anchor on Indian News Television has ever gained the admiration, the hatred, the fame, the popularity and the notoriety that Goswami has. And that is what has won his English Television News channel the eyeballs, the sticky eyeballs that make it the most watched Indian English Television News channel in the country in terms of weekly impressions. Except for a handful of exceptional weeks, Republic TV has retained leadership of the genre, right from the week that it launched about 3 years ago on 6 May 2017 – right in the middle of an ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season when a majority of Indians are glued to the channels that air the cricketing bonanza.

    Earlier, Broadcast Audience Research Council of India limited publishing data for English News channels to NCCS Males 22+ Individual for the Top 5 English News channels in the public domain. Of late the ratings agency has started reporting data for ratings for Top 5 English News channels on a demographic of All India (U+R): NCCS All : 2+ Individuals. In either case, as mentioned above, Republic TV has been the genre leader.

    Please refer to the chart below. Only 3 channels have been present in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 English News channels during the first 22 weeks of 2020. In alphabetical order, they are India Today Television, Republic TV and Times Now. Since Week 17 of 2020, Network18’s English News CNN News18 has also been present in BARC’s Weekly lists of Top 5 English News Channels. As a matter fact, during the first 22 weeks of 2020, CNN News18 was absent from BARC’s weekly top 5 English News channels only once – in Week 15 of 2020.

    Top 5 English News Channels in Week 22 of 2020

    Overall, the combined weekly impressions of BARC’s list of Top English News Channels increased 4.2 percent as compared to the previous week. Only one channel changed in BARC’s weekly list of Top 5 English News channels in Week 22 of 2020 (Saturday, 30 May 2020 to Friday, 5 June 2020, week or period under review) vis-à-vis the previous week. Pubcaster Doordarshan’s DD India exited the list and was replaced by the Radhika and Pronnoy Roy headed group’s NDTV 24×7 at rank 5 which made its sixth entrance into the list during the first 22 weeks of 2020.

    The first four channels in the list retained their ranks in Week 22 of 2020 as compared to the previous week. Republic TV at first rank saw its weekly impressions increase to 9.6 percent to 4.034 billion in Week 22 of 2020 from 3.682 billion in Week 21. At second rank, Times now saw 17.9 growth to 3.208 billion weekly impressions in the week under review from 2.722 billion impressions in Week 21 of 2020.

    CNN News18 at third rank saw an 8.3 percent decline to 1.955 billion weekly impressions in Week 22 of 2020 from 2.131 billion weekly impressions in the previous week. India Today Television at rank 4 saw an increase of 0.3 percent to 1.582 billion weekly impressions in Week 22 of 2020 from 1.578 billion weekly impressions in the previous week. NDTV 24×7 entered BARC’s weekly list of Top 5 English News Channels in Week 22 of 2020 with 0.839 billion weekly impressions. DD India at rank 5 in Week 21 of 2020 had garnered 1.032 billion weekly impressions.

  • Arnab Goswami moves top court seeking to quash new FIR filed against him

    Arnab Goswami moves top court seeking to quash new FIR filed against him

    MUMBAI: Republic TV founding member and editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami has moved the Supreme Court for quashing of a new First Information Report (FIR) lodged against him for allegedly spreading communal hatred in connection with migrants’ protest at Bandra railway station in Mumbai on 14 April, Press Trust of India reported.

    In its fresh petition in the apex court, Goswami mentioned that the FIR is ‘politically motivated’ and Mumbai police ‘harbours ill-will and malice’ towards him. This is the second such instance that Goswami has knocked the Supreme Court’s door to quash the FIR registered against him.

    Earlier, multiple FIRs were filed against him in various states for making a derogatory comment on Congress president Sonia Gandhi for keeping mum on the Palghar Lynching. Ruling in Gowami’s favour, the apex court had cancelled all the FIRs except one in Nagpur, which has been transferred to Mumbai and has allowed police to proceed with an investigation.

    The top court had granted interim protection to the Republic TV editor-in-chief for three weeks and ruled that no coercive action should be taken against him, while quashing all the FIRs except one.

    Referring to a report aired on Republic TV on April 29, the complainant, Irfan Abubakar Shaikh, secretary of Raza Educational Welfare Society, had said that Goswami targeted a mosque in Bandra that had no link with the migrants’ protest. Shaikh accusing Goswami of trying to spread hatred against the Muslim community.

    The Pydhonie police station filed a case against Goswami on May 2. The complainant in his FIR said the debate on the channel intended to blame the Muslim community for the spread of the novel coronavirus.

    With a demand they be sent back to their hometowns, thousands of migrants, who are facing difficulty to survive during the nationwide lockdown, had gathered outside Bandra railway station. The mob gathering was an outcome of a media report that had allegedly said a decision had been made to run special trains to send migrant workers back to their hometowns.

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  • Brand Arnab unhurt by controversies

    Brand Arnab unhurt by controversies

    MUMBAI: Arnab Goswami has been hogging the limelight from the beginning of this week, first with his impromptu resignation from the Editors Guild of India during a live television debate show, and now for the multiple FIRs filed against him for making derogatory comment against a political personality during a live debate. The Supreme Court has given him three weeks’ protection from arrest.

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    Goswami, a founding member and editor-in-chief of the Republic Media Network, has hogged the limelight even as the country is racked by the COVID-19 crisis. But will these recent controversies affect the brand image of Goswami and his channel? Certainly not! On the other, they will only help Republic TV gain some traction, point out media agencies and brand experts.

    “The controversy will have little effect on viewership or sponsorship; in fact, it might attract more viewers,” says FCB Ulka executive creative director Anindya Banerjee. “As a brand, Republic TV has managed to stay in the news in more ways than one. The people, who watch it, know it, and love it.”

    Banerjee further says: “The brands which are associated with the channel are aware of it and love the fact that consumers engage with the news channel.”

    Echoing the same view, Havas Media, India and Southeast Asia chief executive officer Anita Nayyar says: “Logically, any positive controversy lends positivity and a negative one lends negativity. And, the controversy garners a lot of eyeballs and in any case brands ride on it, if deemed fit.”

    The apex court has ruled in favour of Goswami, granting protection from arrest in the case of FIRs filed against him in various states. A source close to the Republic TV says: “This case will probably set a benchmark and precedent of any such future cases. Here, multiple FIRs were filed. But tools like this cannot be used in any negative manner. It’s a big win for the media company.”

    Republic TV has been the most-watched news channel in India for the straight fifteenth week so far this year, according to the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) of India. And, while dwindling ad revenues have affected the majority of television channels due to the COVID-19 crisis, the Republic is unaffected by any such revenue losses, according to a top official of the network.

    Says DigitalKites senior vice-president Amit Lall: “Brands relate to Arnab Goswami because of his success story as an individual. The moment it comes to brands, it always picks and chooses people who are safe and try to be neutral. They don’t like people, who are volatile or impromptu. Brands will continue to put money into it (Republic TV), purely because it has viewership. And, don’t think controversies like such would impact the advertising sales of the network,” says Lall.

    Comniscient Group chief executive officer N Chandramouli says: “Arnab Goswami understands its audience well and have managed to create an audience clutter which nobody has. People believe in his perspective and take him seriously, which helps him get viewership and TRPs for his news channels. He is driven by his audience; we think he has an agenda but his audience has an agenda. Republic TV is completely audience-driven and believes he delivers for his consumers.”

    Arnab Goswami rose to become one of the prominent journalists during his 10-year stint at Times Network where he was an editor-in-chief and primetime anchor of Times Now, which went on to become one of the most-watched news channels then under his editorship. The channel had eventually started getting traction due to his face value. In 2016, Goswami started his own news network, Republic Media, and holds a controlling stake in the company with over 80 per cent of shares.

  • Supreme Court to hear Arnab Goswami’s petition challenging FIR against him

    Supreme Court to hear Arnab Goswami’s petition challenging FIR against him

    MUMBAI: The supreme court on Friday will hear the petition filed by managing director and editor-in-chief of Republic TV Arnab Goswami challenging the FIRs registered against him across the country. A SC bench, comprising Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice MR Shah, will hear the petition at 10.30 am.

    It has been reported that hundreds of FIR were filed against him all over the country.

    The other day, Arnab came under attack from the workers of a political party. Union information and broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar condemned the attack, terming it as an act "against democracy".

    Two were arrested for allegedly attacking Arnab Goswami and his wife Samyabrata Ray in Mumbai.