Karti Chidambaram asks Shashi Tharoor to take up TRP issues in Standing Committee

Congress MP Karti P Chidambaram on Friday wrote to the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology asking him to take up the issue of manipulations in Television Rating Points (TRPs) by some television channels.

In the letter, Karti said the recent Issues surrounding Television Rating Points (TRPs) of Television channels have cast doubts on the legitimacy and reliability of the system. To produce essential data on television audiences in India has become the primary basis for advertising decisions,” he said.

Government advertising expenditure depends on this system, but public spending should not be based on flawed data, he added.

“There is a need for further understanding this situation. In light of this, it is important that the Standing Committee on Information Technology take up this Issue. Therefore, I request you to call before the Committee concerned officials of the responsible ministry, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, to seek necessary clarification on the current situation and remedial measures,” he wrote in the letter.

Karti, who is a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology, wrote on Twitter that governments (Centre & State) and Businesses (Public & Private) base their advertising allocations to TV channels based on TRPs.

“So, flawed or manipulated TRP cannot be the basis of ad spend. TV companies also base their valuations on TRP. Those valuations are questionable now,” he added.