Republic TV: TRP scam appeared in analysis of manipulation of news trends (representation)
Bombay:
The Republic TV distribution manager was arrested in connection with a police case for allegedly manipulating audiences to show the news channel and its programs as the most watched.
Ghanshyam Singh, who runs the channel run by arrested presenter Arnab Goswami, is the 12th defendant to be arrested by Mumbai police in connection with the case for alleged manipulation of a TV filing point or TRP.
Mr Goswami was arrested in a separate case from his Mumbai home last week after police said they found new evidence in a case of incitement to suicide filed in 2018.
Mr. Singh will appear in court today.
Some viewers said they were paid to keep Republic TV on even when they weren’t watching, law enforcement sources said. Two local chains – Fakt Marathi and Box Cinema – were cited during the initial investigations into the alleged TRP scam.
The TRP scam emerged during a larger analysis of the manipulation of news trends and how a “false narrative” spread, particularly the investigation into the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, Mumbai police said.
Republic TV strongly denied the allegations and accused Mumbai police of blood feuds because the channel questioned the police investigation into the death of Sushant Singh Rajput.
Police said they received a complaint in early October from Hansa Research, a company appointed by the Broadcast Audience Research Council or BARC, which installs “people meters” to track the number of viewers. The company said some former employees shared details of the households being tracked and helped rig the ratings.
