Stunning debut or a manipulated one?

IN Media Watch Briefs | 18/05/2017

If the Times Group has accused Republic TV and its founder of theft, Arnab Goswami has got his revenge by way of what the BARC ratings show for Republic's first week. In a target group of males aged 22+ it has double the viewership of Times Now (51.9 per cent to TN's 24.6 per cent.) But is this genuine viewership? The News Broadcasters Association has alleged "dual LCN" malpractice in the way the new channel is appearing in more then one genre on distribution platforms. It had urged BARC not to release the first week's data until this was stopped but BARC has gone ahead and done so.

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Republic TV Times Now News Broadcasters Association BARC

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Media Watch Briefs

Amazon resisting voluntary censorship

The new term for self censorship is voluntary censorship, as proposed by companies like Netflix and Hotstar. ET reports that streaming video service Amazon Prime is opposing a move by its peers to adopt a voluntary censorship code in anticipation of the Indian government coming up with its own rules. Amazon is resisting because it fears that it may alienate paying subscribers.

Let the games begin

Clearly, the run to the 2019 elections is on. A journalist received a call from someone saying they were from Aajtak channel and were conducting a survey, asking whom she was going to vote for in 2019. On being told that her vote was secret, the caller assumed she wasn't going to vote for 'Modiji'. The caller, a woman, also didn't identify herself. A month or two earlier the same journalist received a call, this time from a man, asking if she was going to vote for the BSP.