NBF moves govt over attempt to suspend news genre ratings
Reliance Industries-owned TV18 Broadcast, Times Network, TV Today Network, India TV, ABP News and Zee News. However, informed sources have told Mint that not all members of the NBDA are in favour of a blackout of the ratings and only a few players, have been pushing for it.
“On 4 August, a vote was taken in the same regard, in which ABP Group, TV Today, India TV and a couple of more networks supported the suspension of ratings, while TV18, Times Network, Eenadu Television and Matrubhumi Group voted against it," said one senior broadcaster. Sources in BARC have told Mint that the measurement body has not taken any call on the suspension of ratings, and it will only do so if directed by the government.
The NBF letter further added, “It is worthwhile to point out that the stoppage of news ratings helps only a select few news broadcasters’ interests, as it happened in the past when in 2021, without any logic and rationale, news ratings were suspended... These legacy brands will have an unfair advantage if ratings stall.
Because in such a scenario, advertisers will continue to prefer legacy brands based on historical experience. And the newly emerging leaders will be denied a fair chance to earn their dividends." It said that the continuity of ratings remains in the best interest of the news industry, the public, and for the continuance of a free and fair market.
“A disruption of ratings will plunge our industry into financial distress, impact lakhs of journalists, endorse a system bias against news organizations, and promote monopolistic interests whose primary revenues are not from the public service of delivering the news to the people of India. We humbly seek your intervention to ensure that ratings, which is the only
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