New Delhi: The Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), which released its first TV viewership ratings last week, has been asked by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry not to publish its findings in future till the time it got registered with it as per the norms.
In accordance with the guidelines, all TV rating agencies shall obtain I&B Ministry’s registration. In the case of BARC, which is an industry-led body, the process of registration is still in progress, sources in the Ministry said.
“Since the norms lay that any rating agency that operates should be registered with the ministry, BARC has been asked to refrain from publishing its studies till the process is complete,” a source said, adding it has also been conveyed to BARC.
BARC CEO Partho Dasgupta said in an email communication that they have not received any communication from the I&B Ministry to hold the release of ratings. In fact, we have written to the Ministry informing them categorically about the release of ratings with all details, he said.
Dasgupta said BARC’s application for registration was submitted early November 2014 and he has been told it is “under progress.”
The BARC CEO said he was sure the government will not do anything that will harm the industry. It is important to appreciate that stakeholders and bankers to BARC have invested hundreds of crores of rupees to get reliable and robust ratings which help decide fortunes in the approximately Rs 18,000 crore television advertising industry, he said.
BARC was under pressure from stakeholders to release the ratings as early as possible, Dasgupta said.
An I&B ministry official said since the registration process for BARC is yet to be completed, the release of ratings would set a wrong precedent.
