Fly-by-night operators issuing viewership data under Govt scanner

The government of India is set to take action against the unauthorised agencies and research bodies that provide TV measurement data or ratings, including viewership numbers for internet-connected TVs.

The government is poised to take action against some fly-by-night operators that issue TV data measurement reports or rate channels by aggregating viewership data from various internet-based platforms. These unaccredited bodies are disseminating biased reports with the intention of misleading the market, undermining the authority of BARC, which is the sole agency accredited for TV viewership measurement.

India’s Ministry of Information & Broadcasting mandates that all Television Rating Agencies in the country must register themselves with the Ministry and adhere to their policy guidelines concerning television ratings. As per the "Policy Guidelines for Television Rating Agencies in India," all rating agencies, including the existing ones, must obtain registration from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. These registrations would be granted based on the terms and conditions outlined in these guidelines.

Even for agencies that are registered, the guidelines impose stringent conditions and obligations that be adhered to, without exceptions. This includes ensuring tech-neutral ratings and capturing data across multiple viewing platforms including Cable TV, DTH, Terrestrial TV and online platforms, etc. Moreover, registered agencies are subject to various other regulatory obligations as well.

Earlier, the government had issued a show-cause notice to Airtel for providing measurement data of a specific band using return path data.