The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has directed television rating agency Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) to immediately withhold reporting Television Rating Points (TRPs) for TV news channels for four weeks, or until further orders, citing concerns over “sensational” coverage of the ongoing US-Iran conflict.
According to a directive issued by the ministry, the decision follows observations that certain news channels have been displaying “unwarranted sensationalism and speculative content” related to the Israel-Iran conflict. The ministry said such coverage “may potentially create panic among the general public”, particularly among people with friends and family in the affected regions or those residing in conflict zones.
The directive instructs BARC to suspend publishing TRP ratings for news channels “for a period of four weeks or until further directions, whichever is earlier.”
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting cited Clause 24.2 of the Policy Guidelines for Television Rating Agencies in India, issued on January 16, 2014.
The clause states that television rating agencies are required to comply with “any orders, regulations, guidelines, directions, etc., issued by the Ministry from time to time.”
Invoking this provision, the ministry directed BARC to immediately stop reporting TRP ratings for TV news channels.
“Therefore, in the public interest, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting hereby directs M/s BARC to immediately withhold reporting the Television Rating Points (TRPs) for news TV channels for a period of four weeks or until further directions, whichever is earlier,” the directive said.
The directive comes amid escalating hostilities in West Asia that entered its seventh day on Friday, March 6.
According to the information provided, the current phase of the conflict began after US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with other senior figures in the Islamic Republic.
In response, Tehran has carried out counter-strikes targeting US military bases and Israeli-linked assets across the region.
The developments have triggered extensive coverage by television news channels in India, with the government stating that some reporting has included speculative content.
The Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) is a registered television rating agency that measures television viewership across India.
Under the government’s Policy Guidelines for Television Rating Agencies in India, BARC collects and publishes Television Rating Points (TRPs), which are used by broadcasters and advertisers to measure viewership trends and advertising effectiveness.
TRP data plays a central role in the television advertising market, influencing ad rates and programming decisions across channels.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting regulates television rating agencies through the 2014 policy framework.
Under these guidelines, agencies such as BARC are required to comply with directions issued by the ministry.
The latest directive invokes these provisions to temporarily suspend publication of TRP data for news channels while concerns around coverage of the Israel-Iran conflict are being examined.
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