Sai Jai
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MUMBAI: The Bengaluru Cyber Crime police has arrested five individuals for tampering panel homes following a complaint by the Broadcasters Audience Research Council (BARC) India.
During the course of the investigation, the police found that a group of people was involved in illegally increasing the viewership of a particular show multiple TV sets by bribing the members of panel homes to watch a particular channel at a particular time.
“On getting credible information, police arrested the five accused. Investigations revealed that Raju and his team were working on it. Also, this year, BARC had given a contract to a new firm to install the TRP meters. The role of staff in that firm is also being investigated,” the police said.
The police also said that Raju used to approach producers of TV shows with the promise that their shows would get higher ratings if they agree to pay him a good amount of money.
In December 2016, BARC had suspended the ratings of TV9, V6 News, and India News for allegedly trying to influence ratings. Later, the council had withdrawn the rating suspension of TV9 and V6 News even as India News had obtained a stay order against the decision.
Prior to that, BARC India and Kerala TV Federation (KTF) together had filed a police complaint with the Director General of Kerala police after BARC India’s vigilance team received constant complaints regarding attempts to retrieve addresses of BARC India panel homes and influencing them
Bengaluru cyber crime police arrests five people for tampering BARC panel homes
During the course of the investigation, the police found that a group of people was involved in illegally increasing the viewership of a particular show multiple TV sets by bribing the members of panel homes to watch a particular channel at a particular time.
“On getting credible information, police arrested the five accused. Investigations revealed that Raju and his team were working on it. Also, this year, BARC had given a contract to a new firm to install the TRP meters. The role of staff in that firm is also being investigated,” the police said.
The police also said that Raju used to approach producers of TV shows with the promise that their shows would get higher ratings if they agree to pay him a good amount of money.
In December 2016, BARC had suspended the ratings of TV9, V6 News, and India News for allegedly trying to influence ratings. Later, the council had withdrawn the rating suspension of TV9 and V6 News even as India News had obtained a stay order against the decision.
Prior to that, BARC India and Kerala TV Federation (KTF) together had filed a police complaint with the Director General of Kerala police after BARC India’s vigilance team received constant complaints regarding attempts to retrieve addresses of BARC India panel homes and influencing them
Bengaluru cyber crime police arrests five people for tampering BARC panel homes