Chennai: BARC India has decided to stop reporting the viewership data from the Analog Cable homes in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry market with effective from measurement Week 43 (20th October to 26th October 2018) onwards.
The development comes into effect after MIB rejecting the representation of Cable operators dated 25th September 2018 that demanded for further extend the deadline of analogue feed owing to shortage of STBs.
This means that Tamil Nadu, Rest of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry market will be loosing considerable volume of samples from 20th October and the data for week 43 that will be releases on 1st November 2018, through the BMW system will be based only on Digital Homes.
In order to avoid fluctuations at a town class level, the reporting cuts will be reduced to only Chennai and Rest of TN for some time till the situation settles on ground.
“Starting 1st November 2018, BARC India will stop measuring analog TV homes in TN/Pondicherry market. BARC India had stopped analog reporting in other markets except TN/Pondicherry in July 2017. W.e.f 01st November 2018 we will only measure and report data from digital TV homes in the country. We have already informed the industry about this switch-off, so that they can plan accordingly. The decision comes on the back of feedback from the market and majority stakeholders demanding this migration to digital,” BARC India Spokesperson.
Sources from TN broadcasters reveal that BARC India is currently giving a weightage of 20 percent only for the data sourced from Analogue Cable Homes, while the combined volume of set-top-box seeding in TN has crossed half way mark according to inputs from a Cable Operators’ Association.
BARC India has advised against comparison between the two periods, as there would be an impact on viewership on account of exclusion of Analog Homes.
BARC India’s decision is based on the market feedback and its continuing efforts towards digitization process.
