I/II. http://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/mumbai/other/cable-operators-ordered-not-to-favour-tv-channels/articleshow/58970103.cms
CABLE OPERATORS ORDERED NOT TO FAVOUR TV CHANNELS Mumbai Mirror | Updated: Jun 3, 2017, 06.00 AM IST The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has ordered multi system operators (MSO) against resorting to unfair distribution tactics to improve the TV ratings of specific channels. The order was issued after it came to notice that the newly launched Republic TV claimed to have more viewers than other news channels in a particular week. The complaint was filed by the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) which contested a Broadcasters Audience Research Council (BARC) which released the controversial figures. NBA had also appealed to BARC not to release data for the English general news category for Week 19, 2017 as the rating was corrupted due to unfair distribution tactics. Major English news channels, who are also members of the NBA, had opted out of the measuring system to protect themselves from being measured in a non-level playing field and had clarified that they would return only after the unethical practices had been stopped. TRAI in its recent mandate to the Multiple System Operators (MSOs), also emphasized on ensuring that all channels falling in a particular genre appear in its (MSO’s) network’s electronic programming guide (EPG) under that genre, to make services more consumer friendly. As a result of TRAI’s mandate and action, the rating of Republic TV has gone down by over 50 per cent after the malpractice was discontinued. This drop in rating brings Republic TV closer to realistic levels of weekly reach of general English news channels which is an average of 0.6 to 0.8 million. After a series of discussions and complaints to BARC and TRAI, the English news broadcasters have resumed their Watermark last Friday night subjecting themselves to ongoing measurements as they were sufficiently satisfied that due to TRAI’s intervention the malpractices were discontinued. This was confirmed by most MSOs. Mr Ashish Bagga, President, NBA, stated that the NBA’s stance today stands vindicated. “Not only had TRAI released this important mandate, it had also aggressively followed up with MSOs about putting a stop to malpractices. The NBA is grateful to the TRAI for taking swift measures to stop malpractices,” he said. II. http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/arnab-goswami-republic-tv-using-multiple-feeds-to-claim-viewership-pulled-up-by-regulator/1/954495.html Arnab Goswami's Republic TV uses unethical tactic to push viewership, NBA petitions TRAI The News Broadcasters Association (NBA) has lodged a complaint with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) against Republic TV. IndiaToday.in | Posted by Nikhil Agarwal New Delhi, May 15, 2017 | UPDATED 15:44 IST HIGHLIGHTS 1News Broadcasters Association has complained to TRAI against Republic TV 2The TV channel is running multiple feeds on MSOs 3Republic TV was launched on May 6 as a free-to-air channel TV journalist Arnab Goswami's Republic TV has been called out by the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) for allegedly using unethical tactics to claim a high viewership of the recently-launched news channel. In a first, the NBA has not only singled out the channel for the malpractices, but also lodged a complaint with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) even before the first data of Republic TV's viewership is released. In its letter to the TRAI, the NBA has claimed that Goswami's channel is running multiple feeds on various multi-system operator (MSO) platforms, as reported by BestMediaInfo.com. The way Republic TV does it is that it lists itself at multiple locations across various genres in the electronic programme guide (EPG) of various MSOs and other distributors on multiple logical channel numbers (LCNs), which is a violation of TRAI rules. Follow mansi @rockymans This is true actually.. On Den network.. Its playing on two channels!! https://twitter.com/rahulkanwal/status/864096338115428352 … 6:07 PM - 15 May 2017 42 42 Retweets 40 40 likes Twitter Ads info and privacy Follow Anubhav Chatterjee @chatterbhavs @rahulkanwal @republic Yes it's happening in Bengal too...Channel No. 64 and Channel No. 428(both @republic TV channel) at Siti cable. 5:47 PM - 15 May 2017 8 8 Retweets 15 15 likes Twitter Ads info and privacy "It shall be mandatory for the distributor to place channels in the EPG, in such a way that the television channels of the same genre are placed together consecutively and one channel appears at only one place," says the TRAI rulebook. Republic TV was launched earlier this month on May 6 as a free-to-air channel through most DTH services and cable television operators. [Facsimile] INDIA TODAY TV CLARIFIES Meanwhile, the India Today TV has clarified it uses single frequency and has asked its viewers to flag multiple listing of the channel, if any. "India Today TV is available on a single frequency ONLY. If you spot an aberration, please flag it off for us," the channel tweeted. India Today TV is also running the disclaimer on its channel, asking people to report any malpractice to [email protected]. EDITOR'S NOTE ON NBA PETITION AGAINST REPUBLIC TV For those challenged in math, a TV channel¹s rating is very simply a function of x multiplied by y. X is the time spent by a viewer on a channel and y is a distribution function -- what the channel's penetration into the market is. Y is a paid function. This means if a channel's time spent, which is a direct function of its editorial content, is low, it will not matter if it has shelled out money on distribution (y). In a cat eats cat world is this wrong and illegal? Consider this, if you as a viewer tune in to your cable network and flip through the English channels you are likely to stop and watch a the English channel and register a TVR. If the same channel is also placed among the Hindi channels, you might stop and watch it there as well and then if the channel also pops up among the business channels there could be another sampling. This means that by double, and so far unheard of, triple frequency -- which Republic is shelling out massive bucks for -- they get an abnormal amount of sampling and that takes up their time spent as well. This is resorting to unethical distribution tactics to garner high viewership numbers. And this is in clear violation of TRAI notifications. The TRAI notification related to Telecommunications (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Interconnection (Addressable Systems) Regulations, 2017 dated March 3, 2017, states that "It shall be mandatory for the distributor to place channels in the EPG, in such a way that the television channels of the same genre are placed together consecutively and one channel appears at only one place." This has been mentioned in a letter that the National Broadcasters Association [NBA] has written to TRAI on Monday to point out the unethical tactics being employed by Republic. The letter also notes how this has been done by other networks as well. The TV Today Network has put out a disclaimer saying they are not on any double frequency on any network as of today, and asked for any information to the contrary to be emailed to them. Will the other networks clarify their frequency status as well? Shouldn't the truth be out there before it's decided who is No 1? Will BARC and TRAI take the bull by the horns and make everyone come clean, or will they, like Dhritrashtra, blindfold themselves and allow this great fraud to be perpetuated on viewers of English news? The Nation as they say wants to know. - Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. 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