The Detection Crime Branch have busted a major racket which is fraudulently involved in manipulating Television Ratings Points (TRP).
Two persons are arrested in this regard. BARC is an organization which functions under the governance of Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). It claims that it powers 3,32,000 crores Indian tv ad industry by providing sharp insights.
It has installed approximately 30,000 barometers in various parts of India which monitor various programs and based on the statistical metrics, BARC awards ratings to various TV channels. Based on these ratings, advertisers pay for their advertisers. Manipulated TRP ratings adversely result in miscalculated targeted audience for the advertisers.
This further results into losses of hundreds of crores of rupees because of such manipulation’s and fake statistics of TRP. On a complaint, the Crime Branch nabbed a person from Malad. In the preliminary inquiry, he revealed that he had been working for a company which is a part of Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC).
One of the arrested accused person and some of the wanted accused persons were employees of Hansa Research Group Pvt Ltd and they have misused the confidential data which had been entrusted to them.
It has apparently been done for wrongful gains of various TV channels which had resulted in wrongful loss to various advertisers and their agencies. Preliminary investigations also revealed that these accused persons have manipulated the sampling metering services by inducing the barometer users by paying them periodically to watch particular TV channel/ s.
Many of the people in whose homes these barometers have been installed, have accepted that they have been monetarily beneficial for keeping their TV sets on even if they actually didn’t watch.
An offense has been registered at Kandivali Police Station in this regard. All – out efforts are being made to trace the roots of the matter. Several teams have been sent in various states across India to nab the absconding accused persons. It has been revealed in the investigation carried so far that certain tv channels have been indulging in such malpractices. Certain witnesses have come forward stating that they were induced by the arrested accused persons and their accomplices for a monthly monetary consideration.
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