New Delhi: The Information and Broadcasting have announced a four-member committee, to be headed by Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati, to look into the guidelines of the Television Rating measurement system and recommend any changes required to make it more robust and transparent.
The order issued by I&B Ministry said the committee will be headed by Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati, while Dr Shalabh, professor of statistics at IIT Kanpur, Dr. Rajkumar Upadhyay, executive director, Centre for Development of Telematics, and Pulak Ghosh, professor at IIM Bangalore, will be its members.
The committee is mandated to submit its recommendations to I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar within two months. They should study different aspects of the television rating system as they have evolved over a period of time.
Its order from I&B Ministry said that there is a need to have a fresh look at the guidelines, particularly keeping in view the recent recommendations of TRAI, and technological advancements/interventions to address the TRP system and further strengthen the procedures for a credible and transparent rating system.
The decision comes around two weeks after the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) decided to suspend publishing its weekly individual ratings for channels in the news genre in the wake of the TRP Scam case filed by the Mumbai Police.
“The committee shall carry out an appraisal of the existing system, examine TRAI recommendations notified from time to time, overall industry scenario and addressing the needs of the stakeholders and make recommendations for a robust, transparent and accountable rating system through changes, if any, in the existing guidelines.” the ministry stated.
