TRP fixing issue an attempt of deviation from the real issue

 

 

 

Ever since the Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh took a press conference and announced that his department was investigating allegations of “fixing” television viewership ratings against Republic TV and two other channels, a virtual war of words between the Indian media houses has erupted.

 

While the issue is currently being probed, the manner in which the congress party has jumped into the matter, it clearly appears to be an attempt of deflecting from the real issues at hand by the MVA. Consistent failures of the government in handling all the issues in the state by the MVA government are evident.

 

The pattern of operations of the Congress party if to be analyzed makes one thing clear that congress party is ready with all sorts of excuses when it comes to justifying the defeat. In the past 6 years, a constant complaint wherever the party had to bite the dust was of EVM’s malfunctioning.

 

Now, by targeting certain media houses with the help of the Mumbai CP, MVA is perhaps trying to establish another strategy of blame game. The TRP fixing issue verily appears to be in sync with MVA’s pattern of deflection from the real issues. The Mumbai CP himself further fuels these wars of words by giving interviews in double digits to different media channels, post the press conference.

 

In this fresh battlefield of the Indian media houses, on one side is the Republic TV and its face and editor in chief Arnab Goswami, while on the other hand; almost all the renowned media houses have gone hammer and tongs calling out Goswami’s Republic media network by all the possible corrupt means, which however are not proven.

The animosity in the media has reached to such an extent, that now even media houses have become a victim of their own created “MEDIA TRIALS”.

 

Mumbai CP, Param Bir Singh on Thursday accused news channel Republic TV and two Marathi channels of rigging television rating points (TRPs) to attract advertisers by paying viewers to keep their channels on for long periods, even when no one was at home.

 

As far as the TRP is concerned, Guided by the recommendations of the TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) and MIB notifications of January 2014, Broadcast Audience Research Council, (BARC) India, an industry body was set up to design, commission, supervise and own an accurate, reliable and timely television audience measurement system for India, by which the TRP is measured. The TRP claims made by all the TV channels are the result of the analysis report done by the BARC.

 

The most important economic phenomena of the news channels are based on this TRP’s by which they claim their advertisement rates. “Higher the TRP’s, higher the ad revenue” Now Mumbai CP has accused Arnab Goswami led Republic TV network of these TRP fixing and has also highlighted a FIR to support his claims.

 

Now a powerful profile like that of the Mumbai CP himself taking a press conference on such issue is unheard of. There have been several cases of window dressings and wrongdoings like The Satyam Computer Services scandal” wherein promoters of the company ultimately sent to jail. Was there any such press conference? And look at the timings when Republic is firing all the cylinders? If Republic has done something wrong, they must be punished. Is not there a set process of enquiry ?

 

However, in the case of Arnab Goswami and CP Singh, both have been at the logger heads ever since, the former had taken a very harsh stand on the inefficacy of the later’s department in probing the Sadhu Lynching case at Palghar.

 

This followed by the Republic TV network aggressively following the late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death mystery by again targeting the role of Mumbai Police lead by CP Singh.

 

While Republic TV network has been doing their job by asking questions, one may dislike, however, how justified is Mumbai CP’s press conference followed by action on the news channel based on a FIR which apparently does not even once mention the name of the Republic TV network?

 

As a matter of fact, The Hansa research report accessed by Republic Media Network names India Today several times which exposes the shocking details of the alleged TRP manipulation.

 

This report was perhaps conveniently ignored by both CP Singh in his press conference and later by the media houses including India today network that plunged into the issue by calling out names against Republic TV network.

The questionable approach of the Mumbai CP only leads to his role in the entire episode being questioned as for the prima facie reports out in the domain only suggests a motivated campaign, perhaps politically, against the republic Tv’s Arnab Goswami, intended to malign his image.

 

If the dots are to be connected, ever since the MVA government has come to power and Goswami has been questioning the policies and the politics of the government, both have been at extreme oppositions on almost all the issues.

 

Be it the motivated FIR against Goswami for his journalism on the lynching case of innocent Sadhus in Palghar, which was eventually quashed by the Supreme court or the MVA government trying to pass a resolution in the Maharashtra legislative assembly, the mighty forces of the Maharashtra government appears to be trying to suppress Goswam’s journalism with the CP Singh carrying the baton in his hand.

 

However, it is a state of sorrow to be privy to an instance where one pillar of democracy is using certain tools to suppress another pillar of democracy. If the allegations leveled against the Republic Network are true, then punishment must be inevitable.

 

However, the entire action is nothing but a nadir if it is motivated against Republic TV network which doesn’t even have its name in the FIR and is behaving completely oblivion to the role of India today Network which has names in the FIR multiple times.

 

While the entire episode will eventually take its own course, however, the entire turn of events are seen to be a mockery of two powerful pillars of democracy. While the divided house of the media is evident, a section of the media seems to be backed by the mighty powerful MVA government while the other which is Republic TV Network appears to be fighting alone.

 

While it’s a commonly used phrase that “Truth shall prevail”, however, it will be interesting to see that justice prevails in which direction.

 

Having said so, one thing is crystal clear: voters in this nation have become matured and no agenda driven issues could be nurtured with the help of any elements. Therefore, MVA’s intent of creating a deflection from the real issues shall stand exposed and will eventually fail in the public perception for sure.