The Hindu Business Line : Broad-scale survey of TV market to be commissioned

New Delhi, July 17 Even as a parliamentary committee and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India decide on the need and scope of Government involvement in audience measurement and television rating exercises, the Broadcasting Audience Research Council (BARC) is getting ready to undertake an ambitious establishment study.

The body, formed by the Indian Society of Advertisers, Indian Broadcasting Foundation and Advertising Agencies Association of India last September, will commission a broad-scale survey to map the television universe, said a member.

The cost is not known, but the scale would match that of an Indian Readership Survey or National Readership Survey. An exercise like this has not been undertaken in a while for the television market.

Before the bids

BARC wants to have its market mapped in detail before it calls for bids from rating agencies for its own rating systems. Stakeholders are expected to invest a total of about Rs 100 crore in the rating system that will be established on the basis of the survey.

Digitisation of cable TV and the increase in DTH homes would be reflected, viewing habits and practises identified along with income, education and occupation amongst other markers to establish the audience profile. The entire process could take six months at the least, and BARC would be calling for request of proposals for the survey in August.

The Government has indicated very clearly its displeasure with the existing set up when it asked TRAI for its views. It raised questions about the reliability, comprehensiveness and accountability of ratings; only two research agencies — aMap and Tam Media Research — provide data and analysis to the media and advertising industry.

Meanwhile, Mr Pradeep Guha, Chairman of BARC, has reportedly stepped down.

‘DD feels knifed’

TAM’s network of 7,200 samples is to be expanded to 8,000 by end of the year. However, it primarily covers satellite homes. “DD feels knifed by TAM because the system does not cover terrestrial homes as extensively, which leaves DD out of most ratings. And DD still wants to get the research that others pay for,” says a broadcaster, asking not to be named.

The public broadcaster had a unit named Doordarshan Audience Research Unit (DART) rating its programmes that was discontinued in 2001 but reportedly revived in 2004 to map the popularity of its programmes amongst rural audiences.

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