TRAI issues showcause notice to BARC India for not releasing TV viewership data

Broadcast regulator TRAI has issued a showcause notice to Broadcast Audience Research Council India (BARC India) for not complying with its direction on release of TV viewership data on website during the sector's migration to the new tariff regime, according to a source.

The regulator has asked BARC India to explain, by April 5, why action should not be taken against it for contravention of sections of the TRAI Act, the source privy to the development said.

Reached for comments, a BARC India spokesperson said it had temporarily suspended making public limited set of data given the "significant volatility in data" due to "distribution disruptions" in the NTO (new tariff order) transition period.

It said making public such "misleading" data would be against public interest and could be open to "misuse by vested interests."
"Putting such misleading data on website would be against public interest and could be misused by vested interests. BARC is constantly monitoring the ground situation on this. We have made detailed submissions to TRAI and MIB, backed by data, on several occasions."