Insta
Mumbai Police Accuses Republic TV Of TRP Fraud, May Seize Its Advertising Funds And Freeze Accounts
Arnab Goswami
Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh in a press-conference on Thursday (8 October) accused Republic TV and two Marathi Channels - Fakta Marathi and Box Cinema of manipulating TRP figures.
The owners of the Marathi channels have already been arrested and action is expected to be taken against Republic TV's officials found involved in this matter.
As per Singh, the extra advertising revenue generated as a result of these high TRP runs into hundreds of crores and it will be examined whether they can be termed as "proceeds of crime".
The bank accounts and incoming funds of Republic TV are likely to be examined and may be seized if they are established to be proceeds of crime.
Singh also alleged that people were paid to keep the channels switched on for an entire day in a bid to manipulate the ratings.
As per reports, the police investigation began over a complaint by Hansa Research against its ex-employees accusing them of misusing the household data. Hansa Research was given a contract by BARC to monitor TRP barometers in Mumbai.
The promoters and directors of Republic TV are expected to be summoned as part of this investigation.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.
Latest
