Mumbai Police Probing Republic TV, Two Other Channels For Manipulating TRPs

Mumbai: Mumbai Police said on Thursday they have arrested owners of two TV channels and sent a notice to Republic TV for illegally increasing TRPs.

The Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) has installed over 2,000 barometers in Mumbai for measuring TRP-related data. According to a report in The Indian Express, locations of these barometers are confidential.

“During the investigation, we found that ex-employees of the firm that BARC has given the contract to for installing these barometers were influencing it,” Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh said.

Apparently, they asked people to keep particular channels on. There were deals with some people who didn’t even know English to switch on to English channels, the commissioner added.

Channels like Republic, Fakt Marathi, and Box Cinema are under police scanner. “Owners of two news channels have been arrested already. Summons have been sent to Republic news channel,” Singh informed.

The police chief said that ads earned by channels using these spiked TRPs will be considered as proceeds of crime.