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Home Featured

TV9 Network walks out of NBDA; miffed over moves to further delay the resumption of News Ratings

by MN4U Bureau
January 14, 2022
in Featured, Television
Reading Time: 4 mins read
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New Delhi: TV9 Network has decided to quit News Broadcasters & Digital Association (NBDA) over moves by the industry body to further delay the resumption of news ratings in the country.

In an open letter addressed to the NBDA Board, TV9 Network CEO, Barun Das, expressed his dismay over attempts, yet again, by NBDA to raise doubts over BARC data while aiming to further delay the data release for the news genre.

The NBDA issued a press release yesterday demanding that “before releasing the ratings make systems more transparent, robust and reliable without any manual intervention.”

Das, in his letter to NBDA, said, “We, TV9 network, a full member of NBDA , do not subscribe to this view of NBDA Board. This seems to be a view point of a select members of NBDA and certainly not that of entire NBDA.”

The NBDA press release was issued after the Information & Broadcasting (I&B) ministry announced its decision to immediately resume news ratings.

The ministry’s decision came at the back of sustained efforts of several news channels, working with various stakeholders – after suffering revenue and credibility loss for more than 1 year.

Barun Das
Barun Das

Putting his decision to withdraw from NBDA in context, TV9 Network CEO Das said, “As a full member of NBDA, we have tried to reason with NBDA repeatedly but to no avail. I am not sure whether NBDA actually wants the ratings to resume at all. The latest NBDA communication only makes a bad situation for the News Industry worse.”

Arguing in favour of his immediate withdrawal, Das said “I have been trying to reason with NBDA repeatedly but to no avail. On the contrary, NBDA has been expressing views in public, on the most critical issue pertaining to news genre, which I am complete in disagreement with. Therefore, I am left with no option but to withdraw from NBDA with immediate effect.”

Following is the letter written to NBDA by Barun Das,CEO, TV9 Network:

Dear Annie

  1. Despite the latest I&B ministry directive to immediately restore the news  ratings, the latest NBDA press release of last night is a clear attempt, yet  again, to stall BARC ratings.
  2. We, TV9 network, a full member of NBDA, do not subscribe to this view  of NBDA Board. This seems to be a view point of a select members of  NBDA and certainly not that of entire NBDA.
  3. The ministry’s decision came at the back of sustained efforts of several  news channels, working with various stakeholders – after suffering revenue  and credibility loss for more than 1 year.
  4. Through the press release issued yesterday, NBDA has tried to raise  doubts about the robustness of the data. The question to be asked is  whether NBDA considers itself outside of the entire TV industry? If the  same transparency (the same robustness) is yielding data for all other  genres. Why would it (data) be wrong only for the news genre?
  5. The NBDA’s approach to the entire ratings issue has been curious. It  never answered my fundamental query, asked numerous times: WHO  stopped BARC ratings and WHY? Your response was first casual and  evasive, ultimately unresponsive. Our company secretary vide mail dated  December 13, 2021 below remains unanswered till today. We asked  the following specific questions to NBDA:
  6. A) if not NBDA , then WHO was instrumental in singling out News genre by  stopping the release of ratings and WHY.
  7. B) HOW is it so that NBDA has allowed it to go on for over a year and has not  intervened effectively enough to resume ratings in the interest of the news  broadcasters.
  8. C) Why does NBDA think that rating system was not “clean, robust and free  from manipulation/ tampering” ONLY FOR NEWS GENRE ? D) Why, despite the fact that technical committee approved the suggested  improvement in last July, News TV ratings haven’t been released as yet ..  what has NBDA’s stand been with respect to immediate resumption of  ratings to help the cause of news broadcasters who are hurting badly in  terms of loss of advertising revenue due to suspension of any ratings?
  9. The ONLY good your latest press release does for the Industry is that it  unintendedly answers the question you have been avoided all this while.  By standing between the MIB’s unequivocal order for and the immediate  resumption of BARC ratings, you have made it clear that it is YOU, the  NBDA Board that did not and does not want BARC ratings – and We, a full  member of NBDA do not subscribe to the board’s view.
  10. The stalling of ratings has imperiled the news genre viability from a  revenue perspective. I see this as an unfair trade practice. The news genre  is being put to disadvantage as more and more advertisers threaten to walk  out. Here again, genuine interests of the news TV industry are being  compromised.
  11. A general apprehension that NBDA is tooth and nail fighting to keep the  news ratings stalled only to serve the business interests of a handful legacy  channels seems to be vindicated finally.
  12. It is ironic that some of NBDA board members claimed its viewership  supremacy to advertisers quoting data from some unverified third party  while casting aspersions on BARC data. It pains me to point out that when  it suited the legacy players, they merrily cited BARC’s data. But when the  ratings are not good for them, the BARC data is stalled and some  absolutely unverified source gets acceptance.
  13. I see now a narrative is sought to be woven around the argument that  “what is the hurry?” Truth be told, the News genre has already suffered for  over a year. To my mind, we are already running a year behind in an  industry that runs on a real time basis.
  14. I am not sure whether NBDA wants the ratings to resume at all. The latest  NBDA communication only makes a bad situation for the News Industry  worse.

I have been trying to reason with NBDA repeatedly but to no avail. On the  contrary, NBDA has been expressing views in public, on the most critical  issue pertaining to news genre, which I am complete in disagreement  with. Therefore, I am left with no option but to withdraw from NBDA with  immediate effect.

Therefore, I am left with no option but to withdraw from NBDA with  immediate effect.

Please refund the remainder amount on account of TV9 membership with  the body, as per your policy.

Best

Barun Das

 

Tags: Barun DasNews Broadcasters & Digital AssociationNews genre ratingsTRP ScamTV9 Network

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