NBF writes to I&B minister against a group of broadcasters seeking to suspend news genre ratings

livemint.com:

MUMBAI : The News Broadcasters Federation (NBF), a lobby group of national and regional news broadcasters that collectively represents over 300 TV news channels, has addressed a letter to Anurag Thakur, the Minister of Information & Broadcasting, highlighting its members’ apprehensions regarding the suspension of weekly ratings for the news genre. The letter, a copy of which was accessed by Mint, alleges that a group of broadcasters is making attempts to get the news channels’ ratings suspended.

While the letter has not named any news channel or network, it pointed out that news ratings are the “lifeline" of honest news organisations whose existence and sustenance are measured and delivered based on the performance of their weekly ratings by their viewers across India. “It has come to our collective attention that there is a group of broadcasters with proven monopolistic interests, who are making attempts to impede the ongoing transparent process of publishing weekly ratings for the news genre.

We write to you, with severe concern, to request that there is no disruption in the publishing of ratings for the news genre as disseminated by the rating agency BARC," reads the letter signed by R Jai Krishna, secretary-general, NBF. The letter further points out that rating disruption will not only impact news operations but will also impact the future and the sustenance of a free and vibrant broadcast media.

“We believe that news broadcasters must have a right to earn their revenues through the honest competitive contest within the genre — the result of which is declared solely on the ratings published by BARC every week. Stoppage of BARC ratings only for the news genre would impact our operations which, in turn, will have a