MIB asks BARC to withhold publishing news channels' TRPs amid Iran war

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Tuesday directed the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) to withhold reporting the Television Rating Points (TRPSs) for News TV channels amid the Israel-Iran war for a further period of four weeks or until further directions, whichever is earlier, as reported by ANI.

The step is undertaken as a measure to curb the display of "unwarranted sensationalism and speculative content" by some news genre channels amidst the West Asia conflict.

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This order is an extension of an earlier directive dated March 6, wherein the ministry noted it had observed that amid the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, certain news channels were displaying “unwarranted sensationalism and speculative content”, which could potentially create panic among the public, particularly among those with family or friends in the affected Gulf areas.

It further said rating agencies are required to comply with any orders, regulations or directions issued by the ministry from time to time, citing Clause 24.2 of the Policy Guidelines for Television Rating Agencies in India issued in 2014.