NEW DELHI, Mar 7: The Government on Friday directed television rating agency BARC to immediately halt the reporting of Television Rating Points (TRPs) for news channels for a period of four weeks or until further notice.
The directive comes after certain TV news channels were found displaying “unwarranted sensationalism and speculative content” regarding the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, which “may potentially create panic” among the public, particularly for those with friends or family in the affected regions.
As per the Policy Guidelines for Television Rating Agencies in India, issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on January 16, 2014, BARC is a registered television rating agency. Clause 24.2 of these guidelines mandates that rating agencies comply with any orders, regulations, guidelines, or directions issued by the Ministry.
“In the public interest, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting hereby directs BARC to immediately withhold reporting the TRPs for news TV channels for a period of four weeks or until further directions, whichever is earlier,” the directive stated. (Agency)
