| MUMBAI:
Following an objection raised by rival broadcaster Neo Sports, Ten Sports has
suspended its “We are No. 1” advertisement claiming ratings supremacy
in the sports broadcasting genre. Ten
Sports had run the ad in a magazine (26 January-01 February issue), wherein it
claimed to be the No. 1 sports channel for the sixth consecutive year.
Neo Sports, which also claimed to be the top-rated sports channel for 2008, challenged
the ad and filed a complaint in The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI).
The Consumer
Complaints Committee (CCC) of ASCI has “upheld” the complaint and maintained
that the ad of Ten Sports “was misleading by ambiguity.”
Subsequently, Ten Sports suspended the ad and has asked clarification on the ratings
position from Tam, the agency which measures TV ratings. “We have run the
ad as per the data supplied to us by Tam. However, we have suspended the ad temporarily
and requested clarification from Tam. After that, we will ask ASCI to reconsider
their stance,” Taj Television India MD Rukin Kizilbash tells Indiantelevision.com. Meanwhile,
Neo Sports marketing and communications head Abhishek Verma said Neo Sports was
way ahead of others in the ratings turf. "Tam has already clarified about
us being the No. 1 sports channel of 2008," he added. | 
