Times Network complains against India Today for ‘unfair practise’

Times Network has complained to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, BARC, and TRAI against India Today channel for “misleading and unfair practise to misappropriate channel shares in the English News Channel (ENC) genre.”

In the letter, which is accessed by AdGully, Times Network has alleged that on June 12, 2022 India Today was “playing back to back BollywoodHindi Music break-free.” The network contended that using high-energy dance music at 8-10 am is a well-known TRP-building exercise and frequently used by the Hindi music genre. 

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“The blatant use of this strategy to boost viewership in English News is at once insulting and demoralising to honest players who go to great lengths to generate premium content to keep viewers updated on latest news,” said the Times Network. 

“ENC, as we all understand, provides the most premium audience of decisions-makers nationally and consequently attracts highest premium in ad rates. High share in the genre therefore is coveted. Leadership is a result of dedicated effort and high investment over long periods of time. It is therefore extremely distressing when unfair methods are used by competitors to stack up ratings wrongly and thereby erode the position of the true leader,” said the complaint. 

The network has requested BARC to take this complaint on record and investigate the matter. 

“We hope BARC can neutralised the impact of this content and also penalise the said channel so that there is strong disincentive to do this. We are meanwhile exploring as to how this is in violation of QOS standards prescribed by TRAI for broadcast channels as it certainly causes inconvenience to viewers who would be misled into Content they did not select. We don’t see how this is any different from using multiple LCNs to misdirect Audiences which is illegal.,” said the channel.

Attaching the copy of the letter for our readers reference:

Dear Sir/ Madam,

We wish to bring to your notice a new misleading and unfair practise adopted by “India Today” to misappropriate Channel Shares in the English News Channel (ENC) Genre.

ENC, as we all understand, provides the most premium audience of decisions makers nationally and consequently attracts highest premium in Ad Rates. High Share in the genre therefore is coveted. Leadership is a result of dedicated effort and high investment over long periods of time. It is therefore extremely distressing when unfair methods are used by competitors to stack up ratings wrongly and thereby erode the position of the true leader.

We observed this morning (12 June 2022) at 9:30 am that India Today was playing back to back Bollywood Hindi Music break free (Screen shots attached). Using high energy dance music at 8-10 am is a well known TRP building exercise and frequently used by the Hindi Music Genre. The blatant use of this strategy to boost viewership in English News is at once insulting and demoralising to honest players who go to great lengths to generate premium content to keep viewers updated on latest news.

We request BARC to take this complaint on record and investigate the matter. We hope BARC can neutralised the impact of this Content and also penalise the said channel so that there is strong disincentive to do this.

We are meanwhile exploring as to how this is in violation of QOS standards prescribed by TRAI for Broadcast channels as it certainly causes inconvenience to viewers who would be misled into Content they did not select. We don’t see how this is any different from using multiple LCNs to misdirect Audiences which is illegal.

Request you kind and early intervention.