logo
India's TRP ecosystem needs a reset. Time to end BARC monopoly

India's TRP ecosystem needs a reset. Time to end BARC monopoly

The Print5 days ago
Before BARC, TAM (Television Audience Measurement)—a joint media research venture by Kantar and Nielsen—tracked what India watched. But India is a large country, and TAM could only place meters to measure audience preferences in a limited number of households, that too mostly in urban areas. As a solution, broadcasters, advertisers, and media agencies came together in 2010 to form BARC, which was empanelled by the MIB and started operations in 2015. BARC roped in TAM for back-end technological expertise and rejigged sampling methods. When BARC was rolled out, it measured 12,000 out of the 145 million TV households in India. This was still only 0.008 per cent.
At the heart of this mismatch is a measurement gap that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) is now trying to resolve through reforms to TV ratings guidelines. The MIB is in the process of amending the 2014 television ratings guidelines that led to the accreditation of the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) to measure the relative popularity of TV channels. This much-needed proposal aims to end BARC's monopoly and allow additional entities to conduct TV ratings, which can revitalise TV advertising.
Television advertising revenues have been in freefall , declining from Rs 334 billion to Rs 294 billion in just two years. Twelve per cent of the brands that used TV to reach the masses in 2023 adopted a different distribution medium in 2024. Despite this, the TV industry continues to expand its offerings. DD Free Dish, a state-run distribution platform that requires only a one-time installation fee and no subscription charges, added both consumers and channels last year. The number of Free-to-Air channels on TV that recover costs from advertising is also increasing. Clearly, there is a disconnect between broadcasters' and advertisers' assessment of the true value of India's 160 million-household-strong TV market.
Panel sizes have grown over the years to 55,000, but BARC continues to use the same data-collection methods. Watch time is measured in clock minutes through audio-watermarking technology that detects the channel being viewed. Before watching, each family member in a metered household must press a button to indicate whether they are an adult or a child, and to record their gender. They must press the same button again when they stop viewing. This approach rests on the optimistic assumption that viewers comply every time they switch channels.
Meanwhile, the global media landscape has been moving ahead with qualitative, platform-agnostic measurement tools enabled by big data, advanced meter technologies, and more demographically inclusive panels.
Also read: Internet can't be regulated like TV. Look at how UK, Australia are doing it
Need for competition in TV ratings
Advertisers rely on BARC's single measurement currency, Television Rating Point (TRP), which estimates the duration and frequency of viewership. These ratings help them determine which channels attract the most viewers and where to spend their ad budgets. There are no alternative estimates to go by. In contrast, financial institutions can access data from seven credit rating agencies to determine the creditworthiness of a borrower. There are a dozen or more agencies that news channels can commission for exit poll surveys of elections.
A one-agency, one-currency system also leaves TV audience measurement vulnerable to manipulation. The first complaints of TRP manipulation emerged in 2018, when Hansa Research – the entity that installs meters for audience measurement – filed a police complaint alleging that households were being paid to watch a particular channel. Later, in 2020, the TRP scam implicated broadcasters and former officials at BARC, with allegations of manipulation dating back to 2016, according to an audit report that Mumbai Police received from BARC. The council suspended ratings for three months, but the damage had already been done: advertisers had lost trust in the TRP system, and some broadcasters exited BARC.
Other mature media markets have gone through challenges involved in relying on a single entity to track consumer attention across platforms, devices, and demographics, and have therefore transitioned to 'multi-currency models' that allow multiple measurement providers to coexist. Ad-industry bodies in the US, such as the Video Advertising Bureau and the Television Bureau of Advertising, encourage alternative measurement providers. Even in Singapore, where the TV market is smaller than those in India and the US, multiple agencies operate.
Also read: OTT isn't stopping viewers from turning to TV for sports. Now, remove legacy regulations
Much-needed shot in the arm
A ratings monopoly in India has led to a lack of technological variation, resulting in sluggish systems detached from market dynamics. The rationale for MIB's latest move is therefore strong, and if advertisers can choose between multiple measurement providers, they will gain access to sharper audience data and become more confident in their fiscal planning. This policy rejig also makes room for multi-stakeholder collaborations between distributors with last-mile reach and specialist measurement companies. The resulting competition will drive improvements in advertisers' access to quality data. The ministry should allow the players to freely collaborate, and the best measurement models to emerge in the market.
Even as advertising revenue dwindles, TV in India is far from its swan song. This year, 169 million people tuned in to the Indian Premier League final on TV. With mass appeal intact, opening up the ratings ecosystem could engender much-needed trust in TV advertising and give broadcasting a shot in the arm. It could also prove to be a testbed to stress-test India's growing data analytics capacities, bolstered by the R&D and skills spillovers of global firms setting up global capability centres here.
If done right, this much-needed reform can catalyse the kinds of multiplier impacts free markets tend to regularly deliver in high-technology ecosystems.
Varun Ramdas and Srishti Joshi are media policy specialists at Koan Advisory, New Delhi. These are their personal views.
This article is part of ThePrint-Koan Advisory series that analyses emerging policies, laws and regulations in India's technology sector. Read all the articles here.
(Edited by Zoya Bhatti)
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Fake embassy case: Investigation unearths shocking details related to Hawala money, shell company, and a name
Fake embassy case: Investigation unearths shocking details related to Hawala money, shell company, and a name

India.com

time22 minutes ago

  • India.com

Fake embassy case: Investigation unearths shocking details related to Hawala money, shell company, and a name

New Delhi: The arrest of Harshvardhan Jain on charges of running a fake embassy from a two-storey bungalow in Ghaziabad's Kavinagar has exposed the layers of international fraud and hawala racket. The most surprising name that has emerged in the UP STF investigation is that of Ehsan Ali Syed, who is a native of Hyderabad and has now taken Turkish citizenship. Who is Ehsan Ali? Ehsan has lived in London for a long time and has been involved in many fraudulent activities. Ehsan Ali is the same person who has been considered very close to the controversial religious leader Chandraswami. On his advice, Harshvardhan Jain set up dozens of shell companies abroad. What does the investigation say? The investigation has revealed that these companies were used for hawala transactions, money laundering and large-scale economic fraud. Names of some of these fake companies are: State Trading Corporation Ltd (UK) East India Company UK Ltd (UK) Island General Trading Co LLC (Dubai) Indira Overseas Ltd (Mauritius) Cameron Ispat Sarl (Cameroon, Africa) Where were Ehsan Ali Saeed's businesses based? Ehsan Ali Saeed's company Western Advisory Group was based in Switzerland and Bahrain. This company arranged loans of about 70 million pounds (about Rs 735 crore) in the name of getting loans to Swiss companies between 2008 and 2011 and charged brokerage of 25 million pounds (about Rs 262 crore) in return. After getting the money, Saeed absconded. On the request of the Swiss government, London police arrested him in November 2022. After this, in July 2023, the Westminster Court approved his extradition. Finally, the Zurich Court of Switzerland sentenced Saeed to 6 years and 6 months in prison for fraud and absconding with the money. What was Harshvardhan's role? Interrogation of Harshvardhan Jain has revealed that he also has a connection with Ehsan Ali. Harshvardhan's involvement with Ehsan Ali is being investigated. Jain has several bank accounts opened in his name in India and abroad, which are being investigated. A case has been registered against Harshvardhan in Kavinagar police station under sections 318(4), 336(3), 338, 340. The STF is preparing to take his remand. This entire case goes to the depths of hawala network, shell companies and international racket of fraud, in which connections have been found from India to UK, Turkey, Switzerland, Mauritius and Africa.

As Delhi's Water Bills Dues Cross Rs 1.4 Lakh Crore, Who Owes What?
As Delhi's Water Bills Dues Cross Rs 1.4 Lakh Crore, Who Owes What?

NDTV

time27 minutes ago

  • NDTV

As Delhi's Water Bills Dues Cross Rs 1.4 Lakh Crore, Who Owes What?

New Delhi: Over Rs 1.4 lakh crore in pending water bills has accumulated at the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), officials have said. Of this, the domestic consumers owe the board Rs 15,000 crore, while a bigger chunk of the dues, Rs 66,000 crore, is owed by commercial users, with an additional Rs 63,000 crore due from various government departments - both Delhi and the Centre. Among the list of defaulters, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) tops the list, owing Rs 26,147 crore. Within central government bodies, Indian Railways is the biggest defaulter with dues of Rs 21,530.5 crore, followed closely by the Delhi Police, which has not cleared bills amounting to Rs 6,097 crore. In total, Delhi government departments collectively owe for Rs 33,295.79 crore in unpaid water bills, while central government agencies contribute with another Rs 29,723.37 crore in pending dues. "This isn't just a delay, it's crippling our ability to maintain and upgrade basic infrastructure," a senior official told NDTV, adding, "Despite repeated reminders, the recoveries have been minimal." Some departments have relatively managed to stay current on their water bills The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has comparatively lesser dues of Rs 1.4 crore, while the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) owes Rs 1.1 crore. However, the problem goes well beyond government offices. According to DJB data, commercial users collectively owe Rs 66,000 crore in dues, while domestic consumers are behind by Rs 15,000 crore. Water Minister Pravesh Verma said the government is gearing up for a major recovery push. "Notices will soon be issued to all the defaulter departments, both at the state and central level, to clear their dues," Mr Verma said. "The recovery plan will include high-level meetings with department heads, especially those with large pending bills, to discuss repayment timelines or instalment options," the water minister added. Officials say that unless the dues are cleared, especially from top government defaulters, planned upgrades, maintenance work, and expansion of essential infrastructure could come to a halt.

CM seeks Centre's nod, funding for major infra projects in state
CM seeks Centre's nod, funding for major infra projects in state

Time of India

time35 minutes ago

  • Time of India

CM seeks Centre's nod, funding for major infra projects in state

Mumbai: CM Devendra Fadnavis sought permission from the Union finance ministry to secure loans from the World Bank and other financial institutions for various projects in the state. At a meeting with Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman , Fadnavis sought permission for a loan of Rs 8,651 crore from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for building concrete roads in villages with a minimum population of 1,000 persons. Assistance of Rs 4,326 crore was sought for tackling the rising sea level in the state, and the third project is to process sewage and use the treated wastewater for industries, for which another Rs 4,326 crore is required. The CM also submitted a proposal to the Union Ministry of Rural Development to build 14,000 km of roads in Maharashtra. Fadnavis also met with Union home minister Amit Shah at Parliament House for 25 minutes. He later met Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Manohar Lal Khattar, and Haryana CM Naib Singh Saini. tnn You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store