Broadbandindia Magazine

After the ministry of information and broadcasting (I&B), the regulator and the industry, the parliamentary standing committee on Information Technology took stock of the controversial television audience measurement issue, an intense debate on the question of regulation of rating business has arisen resulting in the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) being asked to deliberate on the issues revolving around television rating point (TRP) business and the role of government in the sector. Now Trai is looking to streamline the TRP business and firm up accuracy of audience research measurement in the country by setting up of a body broadly on the lines of Media Rating Council (MRC) of the US. The proposed national expert body could constitute of representatives of all stakeholders including the government. Recently, the existing market benchmarks of sample size (6,000 to 8,000) came under the scanner of I&B ministry. The ministry held the view that a total of 6,000 to 7,000 peoplemetre installed only in urban locations is inadequate to represent 122 million TV households in the country and only reflects skewed TV viewership reality. Subsequently, the Centre referred the matter to the regulatory body. According to a Trai official,