New Delhi: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has directed Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) to immediately stop sharing Television Rating Points (TRPs) for TV news channels for four weeks or until further orders due to concerns over “sensational” reporting on the US-Iran conflict.
According to a directive issued by the ministry, the decision has been taken following observations that some channels showed “unwarranted sensationalism and speculative content” about the Israel-Iran war. This “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 order cites Clause 24.2 of the 2014 Policy Guidelines for Television Rating Agencies, requiring obedience to “any orders, regulations, guidelines, directions, etc., issued by the Ministry from time to time,” reported PTI.
“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 states.
BARC is an agency that measures television viewership across India, while TRPs help channels sell ads and pick shows.
The conflict, which will enter its second week on Saturday, escalated across the Middle East following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and many others in US-Israeli strikes on February 28.
