Regulate TRP system, Par panel tells Govt
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New Delhi, Dec 15: Pitching for regulating the TRP system to gauge viewership to make it more accountable, a parliamentary panel today demanded that the government bring in a legislation for effective oversight of broadcast content without any further delay.
Perturbed by the fact that a suitable legislation on broadcasting is yet to materialise despite Supreme Court's 1995 judgement, which had said that airwaves are public property which need to be controlled by public authority, the Committee criticised the government for its lack of seriousness on the issue.
In its report titled "Television Audience Measurement in India", which was presented in Parliament here, the Standing Committee on Information Technology said that the government should "fructify a self enabling, people friendly and comprehensive legislation on broadcasting services without wasting further time".
The committee in its recommendations, also disagreed with the views expressed by Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), a body of private broadcasters, that while the Television Rating Point (TRP) certainly measures what the audiences view, its economic effect is only felt by the broadcasters, advertisers and advertising agencies.
The committee observed that "the rating system in vogue in utter disregard to the viewers' sensitivities and preferences is promoting misuse of the television's platform in the spread of violence, vulgarity, crime and sex... ignoring India's great cultural traditions.All this is being done to attract viewership, especially of vulnerable groups".
"It is high time the government intervened in the matter and put in place some sort of governmental oversight or regulation on TRP system to make it credible and accountable to the choice of viewers," it said. PTI
Perturbed by the fact that a suitable legislation on broadcasting is yet to materialise despite Supreme Court's 1995 judgement, which had said that airwaves are public property which need to be controlled by public authority, the Committee criticised the government for its lack of seriousness on the issue.
In its report titled "Television Audience Measurement in India", which was presented in Parliament here, the Standing Committee on Information Technology said that the government should "fructify a self enabling, people friendly and comprehensive legislation on broadcasting services without wasting further time".
The committee in its recommendations, also disagreed with the views expressed by Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), a body of private broadcasters, that while the Television Rating Point (TRP) certainly measures what the audiences view, its economic effect is only felt by the broadcasters, advertisers and advertising agencies.
The committee observed that "the rating system in vogue in utter disregard to the viewers' sensitivities and preferences is promoting misuse of the television's platform in the spread of violence, vulgarity, crime and sex... ignoring India's great cultural traditions.All this is being done to attract viewership, especially of vulnerable groups".
"It is high time the government intervened in the matter and put in place some sort of governmental oversight or regulation on TRP system to make it credible and accountable to the choice of viewers," it said. PTI
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