**Executive Summary**
This document is a response to Unstarred Question No. 2892 in the Lok Sabha, regarding alleged TRP manipulation by a regional news channel in Kerala. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting addresses concerns about bribery, financial fraud, and regulatory violations related to television ratings, with a deadline of December 17, 2025. The Ministry has requested a preliminary report, including the FIR filed, from the DGP, Kerala Police.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Allegations and Investigation:**
* The Ministry has taken note of media reports alleging TRP manipulation by a TV channel through bribery.
* A preliminary report, including the FIR filed, has been sought from the DGP, Kerala Police.
* **Regulatory Framework:**
* Television ratings in India are governed by the Policy Guidelines for Television Rating Agencies in India, 2014.
* The guidelines mandate maintaining secrecy and privacy and ensuring transparent, fair, and accountable audience measurement.
* **Policy Amendments:**
* Draft amendments to the Policy Guidelines were issued on July 2, 2025, for public consultation to strengthen the integrity of the rating ecosystem.
* The proposed amendments aim to promote fair competition, enhance data accuracy, and reflect evolving media consumption patterns.
* A revised draft amendment was published on November 6, 2025, for further consultation after examining stakeholder input.
* **Government Action:**
* The Government is closely monitoring developments to ensure the credibility and integrity of the television audience measurement system.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: M/s Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India**
* **Impact:** BARC is central to the investigation as a potential victim of bribery and TRP manipulation. The Government is looking into reports alleging a BARC employee was bribed.
* **Action Required:** The Ministry has requested a preliminary report regarding the allegations.
**Stakeholder: Regional Television Channel in Kerala**
* **Impact:** The channel is the subject of the investigation and may face legal action if found guilty of TRP manipulation.
* **Action Required:** The channel may need to cooperate with investigations and respond to any charges brought against them.
**Stakeholder: DGP, Kerala Police**
* **Impact:** The Kerala Police are responsible for investigating the alleged TRP manipulation and filing the FIR.
* **Action Required:** They must provide a preliminary report, including details of action taken on the FIR, to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
**Stakeholder: The Public**
* **Impact:** The credibility and integrity of viewership ratings affects the public understanding of popular media.
* **Action Required:** None.
**Stakeholder: Television Rating Agencies**
* **Impact:** Existing regulation has been reviewed with updated guidelines being drafted.
* **Action Required:** To review the updated guidelines in anticipation of changes to existing regulation.
Key Entities Referenced
Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India: Television rating agency in India; subject of bribery allegations for TRP manipulation.
Policy Guidelines for Television Rating Agencies in India, 2014: Governs television ratings in India, aimed at maintaining secrecy, privacy, and transparency in audience measurement.
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting: The ministry responsible for overseeing television broadcasting and ratings in India.
Kerala: Location where the TRP manipulation incident occurred involving a regional news channel.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2892
(TO BE ANSWERED ON 17.12.2025)
TRP MANIPULATION BY REGIONAL NEWS CHANNEL IN KERALA.
2892. ADV DEAN KURIAKOSE:
SHRI K SUDHAKARAN:
Will the Minister of INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has taken cognizance of the recent reports regarding
a prominent television news channel in Kerala allegedly bribing officials of the
Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) to manipulate Television Rating Points
(TRP) including the alleged routing of funds through cryptocurrency in order to evade
detection to inflate viewership ratings and if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether any forensic audit/high level inquiry/investigation has been initiated by
BARC or the Central Agencies/Government into this matter and if so, the details
thereof along with reports received from the State Police regarding these irregularities,
if any;
(c) whether the Government is aware of the reported background that the
promoters/owners of the said channel have previously been involved in several cases
of financial fraud or regulatory violations and if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether the Government proposes to take strict and exemplary action including
prosecution against BARC officials implicated in the scam and suspend or revoke the
uplinking/downlinking permission of the concerned channel immediately to restore the
integrity of the rating ecosystem; and
(e) the steps taken or proposed to be taken by the Government to ensure the
transparency and integrity of the audience measurement system and to prevent such
malpractices in regional markets?ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING; AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS
(DR. L. MURUGAN)
(a) to (e): The Ministry has taken note of the recent media reports alleging that a
television channel was engaged in manipulation of television ratings by bribing an
employee of the M/s Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India.
In view of the allegations, a preliminary report, including details of action taken on the
FIR reportedly filed in the matter, has been sought from the DGP, Kerala Police.
Television rating in India
Television ratings in India are governed by the Policy Guidelines for Television Rating
Agencies in India, 2014. The guidelines mandate rating agencies to maintain secrecy
and privacy of panel homes and ensure a transparent, fair and accountable audience
measurement system.
With a view to further strength the integrity and transparency of the rating ecosystem,
the Government issued draft amendments to the said Policy Guidelines on 2.07.2025
for public consultation.
The proposed amendments aim to promote fair competition, enhance accuracy and
representativeness of ratings data, and reflect evolving media consumption patterns
across regions.
After examining stakeholder inputs, a revised draft amendment was published on
06.11.2025 for further consultation.
The Government continues to closely monitor developments to ensure the credibility
and integrity of the television audience measurement system.
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