TRAI recommends 'self-regulation' on TV ratings

Broadcast regulator TRAI today said government regulating ratings on TV viewership is not advisable and suggested that a broadcaster or an advertiser should have stakes in rating agencies and vice versa to ensure neutrality of TRPs. "Any form of governmental intervention in the form of an enactment of law is not desirable at this stage," TRAI said and favoured "self-regulation" by the Rs 22,600-crore TV industry. In its Draft Recommendation on the Policy Guidelines and Operational Issues for TV Audience Measurement/TRPs, TRAI further suggested that "no single company or person shall have more than 10 per cent equity in more than one rating agency". To ensure that Television Rating Points (TRPs) are manipulated, TRAI said that "a promoter company/legal person/ directors of rating agency cannot have stakes in broadcaster, advertiser and advertising agency either directly or through its associates. "Similarly, a broadcaster, advertiser or advertising agency cannot have any stake in rating agencies," it said. The proposed industry body Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) will look after issues in the measurement and rating methodology for television viewers. BARC, which will come into force in January 2009, can be recognised as the apex body for TRPs and also to address the inadequacies of the present system with co-ordination with the ministry of I&B, TRAI said. It also suggested that with increased convergence and blurring of boundaries between carriage and content, and the significant influence exercised by content on the society, "the Authority strongly recommends that regulation of content should be transferred to TRAI."

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