The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has asked the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) to suspend the publication of Television Rating Points (TRPs) for TV news channels for four weeks or until further direction. The directive instructs BARC to suspend publishing TRP ratings for news channels “for a period of four weeks or until further directions, whichever is earlier.”
According to a directive issued by the ministry, the decision follows observations that certain news channels have displayed “unwarranted sensationalism and speculative content” related to the Israel-Iran conflict. The ministry said such coverage “may potentially create panic among the general public”, particularly among people with friends and family in the affected regions or those residing in conflict zones.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting cited Clause 24.2 of the Policy Guidelines for Television Rating Agencies in India, issued on January 16, 2014. According to the clause, television rating agencies must comply with “any orders, regulations, guidelines, directions, etc., issued by the Ministry from time to time.”
“Therefore, in the public interest, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting hereby directs M/s BARC to immediately withhold reporting the Television Rating Points (TRPs) for news TV channels for a period of four weeks or until further directions, whichever is earlier,” the directive said.
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