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MUMBAI:
In a Conclave Friday Fever broadcast live by Delhi Kendra
of Doordarshan, news broadcasters, media planners and journalists
in the panel could not reach a consensus if Tam ratings are
adequate and credible for as diverse a market as India.
Those
taking part included Times Now CEO Chintamani Rao, Tam India
Media Research CEO L V Krishnan, Sahara One Media director
Mahesh Prasad, Centre for Media Studies director P N Vasanti,
Cable Operators Federation of India president Roop Sharma,
NDTV EVP sales Avinash Kaul, aMap's Amit Verma, Carat Media
MD PV Narayanmoorthy, Star India’s Paritosh Joshi, Indian
Broadcasting Federation (IBF) president Jawahar Goel, INX
Media Group Director-Brand Anthony Pettifer and film maker
Bobby Bedi. The discussion was moderated by Live India CEO
and editor Sudhir Chaudhary and Suneet Tandon.
Favouring
the rating system, Rao says that Tam gives a clear picture
of how a particular programming has fared and what kind of
advertising it pulls for the channels.
Rao, however, admitted that some inadequacies had crept into
the present rating system as when Tam launched the market
was small and, therefore, simple and less fragmented.
News
broadcasters had to face the wrath of the journalists and
social activists who criticized the content and questioned
the credibility of TV news channels. TV news channels are
accused that the content succumbs to TRPs.
Refuting
these allegations, Kaul said that no news channel wholly depend
on TRPs for market analysis. News channels and media planners
also get a feedback from the distributors. He pointed out
that as per the Tam Ratings, NDTV India has slipped from No
2 to No 7; even then the ad revenue has not decreased.
On
being repeatedly questioned on the adequacy of the Tam rating
system, Rao said that Broadcasters Audience Research Council
(BARC) will be functional within the next two years and will
comparatively give a fair picture. BARC is a new rating body
which includes advertisers, broadcasters, advertising agencies
and the Government.
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