TRP scam: BARC in cleanup mode, says no news viewership data for 3 months

News channels in India will not receive viewership data for the next three months with the Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) deciding to review its viewership measurement mechanism. The move follows the Mumbai Police announcement that it has busted a television rating points racket. 

BARC, said informed sources, is contemplating key changes in its measurement system as advertisers, agencies and broadcasters demand a stringent and robust mechanism to tackle data manipulation — a problem that has dogged the viewership measurement industry for years.

Possible changes will include increasing the number of panel homes from 44,000 to 50,000 and the introduction