Cracks seeping in the INS over IRS-MRUC issue

While measurement issues have been keeping the broadcasters and advertisers on their toes, the print industry is not too far. If broadcasters are being juggled with court dates for the verdict on Kantar Media petition, the newspapers in the country are fighting their own little battle in the industry bodies.

As known to all, a Readership Studies Council of India (RSCI) meeting is slated for the 19th of February 2014 as it was handed over the mandate to resolve the new IRS data anomalies by the Media Research Users Council (MRUC) early this month. However, sources close to Adgully inform that cracks seem to have emerged in the India Newspapers Society (INS).

It was on the wee hours of 11th February 2014 that a senior member from the print industry called Adgully to indicate that there is more to the IRS – MRUC issue that just data inconsistency. On condition of anonymity, he said that what is projected as a unanimous opinion and decision of the members of the INS, is not the real picture. There are publications that are not in the league of those opinions, and thus there is more chaos possible in the coming days. He also went on to state that if the publications sit-back and assess the situation, the IRS issue could be solved, it is not that there is no solution at all!

Later in the day, Adgully received an email from the Dainik Bhaskar Group stating that Additional District Court, Gwalior, MP has ordered MRUC to stay proceedings of New Disputed IRS 2013 Findings, an issue which the publication had filed in the court. The email said:

Dear Friends,

We wish to update that Additional District Court, Gwalior MP, has stayed the use and publication of Disputed NEW IRS 2013 FINDINGS to MRUC, vide their order dated 10-02-2014 agst. hearing case no.A/ 2014CS, by court no. 11, Additional District Judge, Gwalior MP. 

Through an stay order, as per details above, they have directed Media Research User Council ( MRUC), to off load the disputed new IRS Findings 2013 from their website as well as stop its members from using Disputed New IRS Findings 2013, with immediate effect till they complete full hearings, in the case

This copy is submitted for clarity, benefit and facilitation for doing needful about new disputed readership findings.

It was only towards the end of the day that another source from the epicentre of the issue, on the basis on confidentiality spoke to team Adgully that the INS is heading towards a crack in the unity of the society. Senior members of the society, according to the source, have also stated that the INS needs to focus on more important issues like the wage board and its expected judgement in the coming days. There are also serious exchanges of words amongst the members of the society about the projected INS decisions as some publications have been vocal about gaining good numbers and not facing any problems with the IRS data.

As all these telephonic and email conversations happened very late in the day, Adgully could not elicit these bits of information from the concerned parties. However, it is now to be seen as to how things unfold at the IRS-MRUC-INS saga now!

 

 

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