BARC temporarily suspends news channels' ratings following fake TRP scam

Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) on Thursday temporarily suspended news channels' ratings following fake TRP scam. BARC releases weekly rating points for TV channels in India.

The fake TRP scam came to light when ratings agency Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) filed a complaint through Hansa Research Group, alleging that certain television channels were rigging TRP numbers. Hansa is one of BARC''s vendors on engagement with panel homes or people''s meters.

Last week, Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh had claimed that Republic TV and two Marathi channels - Box Cinema and Fakt Marathi were involved in manipulation of TRPs.

Television Rating Point, or TRP, is a tool provided to judge which programmes are viewed the most. It gives an index of the choice of the people and also the popularity of a particular channel.