TRP stands for Television Rating Points and it tells us which TV Channels and shows which are viewed the most. In India, the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), gives TRP ratings to TV channels in India. They do this by installing a device called ‘Barometers’ in thousands of houses. BARC gave a confidential contract to a company called Hansa Research to install these barometers in various houses. 30,000 barometers were installed across India of which 2,000 were installed in Mumbai. The device checks which channels and shows are viewed the most in these houses. On the basis of this, channels and shows are given TRP ratings. The data about these households are closely guarded and supposed to be top secret.

Hansa Research had filed a case with the Mumbai Police saying that some of Hansa Research's former employees had sold the data of these houses to TV Channels. 

The Mumbai police launched an investigation. On Thursday 8th October 2020, the Mumbai Police said that its Crime Branch has busted a Television Rating Points (TRP) manipulation racket. Three channels Fakt Marathi, Box Cinema, and Republic TV are being investigated. According to the Mumbai Police, these TV channels bribed Hansa Research employees for data. When the channel got the data, they would bribe the house to keep the TV on the full day even if they weren’t at home. In non-English speaking homes, for instance, the channels bribed the families and told them to keep English news channels on. Owners of Fakt Marathi and Box Cinema were arrested for TRP fraud. Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh told reporters at a press conference that Arnab Goswami owner of Republic TV will soon be questioned in the case of TRP fraud. TRP of Republic TV has increased very quickly and they have the highest TRP for a long time. The police suspect there is something wrong. 

Arnab Goswami is famous for his loud debates and his coverage about Sushant Singh Rajput’s death. According to the police, the manipulation of TRP data helped Republic TV and the other two channels get the top spot for a long time and these channels could charge the advertisers more.  The police have promised a thorough investigation. In a statement, Arnab Goswami said the allegations against his channel were false and that Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh was making the claims since the channel had questioned him on the Sushant Singh Rajput death case. Republic TV said it will file a criminal defamation case against Param Bir Singh and asked him to be ready in a court.

Tags

• BARC
• TRP
• Arnab
• Goswami
• Hansa
• Research

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