Fake TRP racket: Advertisers cautious as viewership row explodes

For want of a substitute, many willing to give BARC time to come clean

Companies that invest advertising money in television channels are in no hurry to abandon the viewership measurement system that appears to have been manipulated by a few channels.

A day after the Mumbai Police announced that it had busted a viewership racket and named three television channels, including broadcaster Republic TV, advertisers that Business Standard spoke to said that it would be inappropriate to arrive at a conclusion given that the investigation was still on.

“While manipulations are not right, I cannot comment on the investigation in this matter,” said R S Sodhi, managing director, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation,