New Delhi: In a country like India where there are numerous television channels, how do you find out which ones are viewed more than the others. In comes TRP or Television Rating Points - a tool that is used to gauge the viewers of television programmes.
In simple terms, TRP gives an idea of how many people are watching a particular programme or advertisement.
See more
But how reliable are TRPs in India? Can they be fixed to the benefit of a particular channel? Can people be bribed to view a channel or programme in order to improve TRP ratings?
In 2018 a case was registered against seven people in Gwalior, of whom three have been arrested, for illegally fixing TRP ratings in Madhya Pradesh in favour of a particular Hindi TV news channel. Those involved in this scam had installed TRP [Television Rating Point] meters in a number of households and offered them monetary benefits to only watch a particular Hindi news channel. The motive behind it was to enhance the TRP ratings of the channel through fraudulent means.
In 2012, another agency responsible for giving TRP in India was sued by another leading Hindi news channel for fixing TV ratings. Later it was replaced by Broadcast Research Audience Council [BARC] India, formed by the broadcasters, advertisers and ad agencies. Presently BARC releases ratings to the industry, after its appointed vendors supply data to them from the peoplemeters or bar-o-meters installed at peoples’ homes, and decide the fate of Rs 22,000 crore spending on TV advertising in India.
Offers of different rates
In the wake of allegations that TRP ratings were being fixed in India, Gulf News carried out an investigation, resulting in startling revelations. The investigation probed a number of players spread across India, who were ready to fix a channel’s ratings in return for money. They have various offers of different rates.
Posing as the owner of a yet to be launched news channel, we first met a Multi System Operator [MSO] having more than 200,000 set top boxes in the capital of a big Indian state. The MSO had no hesitation in saying that he was into distribution and TRP fixing. “We will do your channel distribution plus will help you meet people who are fixing TRPs by installing peoplemeters at homes,” the MSO said. He named a Hindi news channel, launched years ago, for whom he had the TRP fixed. “Through people I got the channel’s TRP fixed for a week,” the MSO said. To avoid the attention of other broadcasters, the MSO said he would give a spike to the new channel in phases, lest others raise an alarm. The MSO offered an annual package of Rs50 million (Dh2.5m) for TRP fixing and distribution.
Another MSO from south India gave a guarantee to fix the channel’s TRP in all the south Indian states. “I have been fixing TRP through peoplemeters for years for various channels. The channel launched two years ago is doing well in TRP ratings in all southern states because of me. I am fixing their TRP through peoplemeters.”
Confidential business
“I know where the peoplemeters are installed. I approach the families, bribe them to watch the particular channel, resulting in a lift to the TRP. The channel pays me Rs 200,000 per month for the job,” the MSO said. He added that every Friday he gets money from the channel to be distributed to households where meters are installed on Saturday and Sunday.
Another man running a private agency said that installation of peoplemeters is confidential business. But he knew where meters were installed in a particular state. He was confident of fixing the TRP for the newly launched channel by bribing people where meters were installed. “I will fix TRP for you by tampering peoplemeters. It is not a new trend. I am doing it for the people”, the agency owner added.
