Three news channels including Arnab Goswami-owned Republic TV have come under the radar of Mumbai Police for manipulating television rating points (TRP). Two persons have been arrested in connection with running a rating manipulation racket in Mumbai.
According to Mumbai Police, out of two arrested, one is a former employee of an agency that installed meters at select households to assess ratings.
Mumbai Police Commissioner Paramvir Singh said that the officials of Republic TV would be summoned for questioning in the ongoing investigation of manipulating TRP.
Singh said that the investigation is a part of the larger analysis of the manipulation of news trends and the way the propaganda and false narratives are propagated through the news channels.
It is reported that the bank account of the news channels would be investigated, the funds received from the advertisers, and whether it precedes any crime.
“Anyone involved in the channel, no matter how top management, how senior, will be questioned, and if involved they will be investigated,” Singh said.
He said, “Data were manipulated from various households, in return of Rs 400-500 a month. The households were instructed to switch the select channel throughout the day. This will be considered proceeds of cheating.”
“There was false TRP spreading. TRP ratings were being bought. The manipulation was mainly for advertising revenues,” he added.
