Mumbai: A week after the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), the new media rating agency, released its first television viewership data, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has sent a letter saying they would asking BARC to stop releasing Television measurement ratings data till they complete registration formalities.
The intervention by the I&B ministry has caused some surprise in industry circles as BARC had been functioning and had released viewership data. The chairman of BARC’s technical committee and CEO of IPG Mediabrands Shashi Sinha expressed surprise at the turn of events.
According to BARC officials, they had applied for registration in November and the delay has been from I&B Ministry’s end. One of the senior members also insisted that the existing ratings agency, TAM, is also not registered with Information and Broadcasting Ministry, questioning why such a rule is being imposed on BARC.
Meanwhile, BARC is talking to I&B Ministry to reach a solution and speed the registration process.
Speaking further on the issue Shashi Sinha also added, “There is an advisory that MIB has issued saying they would appreciate if we don’t send the data till we get ourselves registered. Having said that, we applied in November and it’s been almost six months. They were following up with us on what we were doing, and I’m surprised by this. We will approach them and talk to them. But, meanwhile, we’ll continue the release of the data.”
Subsequently, TAM has released its statement on the matter too. It states that the agency has been given permission to release data until its pending case on cross-holding is resolved.
The statement from TAM says’ ”For TAM Media Research, weekly TV viewership data release to the industry will continue as normal. Pursuant to the interim order issued by the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi on 12th February 2014, 1.7(a), 1.7(d), 16.1 & 16.2 of impugned guidelines have been stayed till the disposal of the Writ Petition 494/2014 (Kantar Matter)’
