By IANS,
New Delhi : With the present television rating points (TRP) system under attack from some quarters, the information and broadcasting ministry Tuesday said it plans to consult various stakeholders before taking a decision on the issue.
“Consultations with various stakeholders are required to arrive at a final decision. Therefore, no time frame can be fixed,” Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting C.M. Jatua told parliament when asked whether the government proposed to change the TRP system.
The ministry had sought views of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on the TRP system last year. “The TRA’s views and recommendations have since been received,” Jatua told the Lok Sabha.
Advertisers have questioned the reliability, comprehensiveness and accountability of ratings.
In its recommendations, the TRAI has attempted to address the minimum coverage required over different platforms, as well as rural and urban coverage of television ratings.
Some advertisers contend that they have been reconciled to the issues in existing rating samples and methodologies and agencies conducting them purely as the industry needs a standard or common data on the basis of which it can do business.
Last year, the Indian Broadcast Foundation, Advertising Agencies Association of India, and Indian Society of Advertisers formed a non-profit organisation called Broadcast Audio Research Council, which plans to set up a network of 500,000 people meters against Television Audience Measurement’s (TAM) claim of a sample base of 8,000 for preparing TRPs.