News Broadcasting
Former BARC CEO, COO aided Republic TV in rigging TRPs: Police chargesheet
NEW DELHI: In the supplementary chargesheet filed in the alleged TRP manipulation case, the Mumbai police has once again reiterated that former BARC CEO Partho Dasgupta was the mastermind behind the whole scam. He allegedly used his position to aid ARG Outlier (Republic TV) in gaming viewership ratings.
The chargesheet further states that ARG Outlier Media CEO Vikas Khanchandani, along with COO Priya Mukherjee, carried out transactions in order to ensure that more viewers watch their channels. Their WhatsApp group chats, reportedly, support this allegation.
It also mentions that former BARC COO Romil Ramgarhia also aided Republic channels in manipulating the TRPs. Ramgarhia allegedly conducted internal inquiries into BARC through an independent company 'Acquisitory Risk Consulting Pvt Ltd' which gave him and his co-accused insight into the working of TRP calculation. The investigation also cites emails found in Ramgarhia’s work account which discussed how the BARC data is aiding Republic channels through rigged ratings.
The chargesheet also called out Republic TV for flouting TRAI regulations by paying cable operators and MSOs for using the 'dual/promotional local channel number' to telecast their news channels on more than one channel.
Along with these three charges, the supplementary chargesheet names 59 witnesses, which includes 12 expert witnesses (forensic auditors, computer forensics auditors).
The Mumbai police has reportedly also found some evidence against general entertainment channels and two Telugu regional channels as well, which they will be investigating further.
The crime branch filed its first charge sheet in November 2020 which included details of the first twelve accused.
The fake TRP case was filed in October after Nitin Deokar, an official of Hansa Research, an agency that placed the ratings metres, filed a complaint alleging the process was being manipulated.
After investigating the matter, the Mumbai police said Republic TV – which claims to have the highest ratings – was tweaking TRPs to get high advertising rates by bribing the households where the monitoring machines were set.
The channel has denied any wrongdoing and claimed the accusations were an instance of vendetta by the Mumbai police following their clash over the Sushant Singh Rajput case.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Fury in the Gulf conclave on West Asia crisis
Three-hour summit to unpack geopolitical fallout and impact on India
MUMBAI: CNN-News18 is set to host a special three-hour broadcast, Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave, on April 7, aiming to decode the escalating West Asia crisis and its far-reaching implications for India.
Scheduled from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, the conclave comes at a time when tensions between Iran and the United States are reshaping global geopolitics and triggering economic uncertainty. With India’s deep energy ties, trade links and large diaspora in the Gulf, the developments carry significant domestic relevance.
Built around the theme ‘Conflict, Consequences, and The Future,’ the programme will feature six curated sessions combining one-on-one interviews and panel discussions. The focus is to cut through the clutter and offer viewers a clearer understanding of the fast-evolving situation.
Key sessions include ‘Diplomacy in Times of War’ featuring Shashi Tharoor, and ‘World After the Iran Conflict’ with voices such as Ram Madhav, Reuven Azar, representatives from the European Union and the Iranian Deputy Envoy. Another session titled ‘Another Dunkirk?’ will bring together K. J. S. Dhillon and Jitin Prasada among others.
CNN-News18 editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar said, “In times of war, clarity becomes the most powerful tool. Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave brings together credible voices to address the questions and confusion that arise amid an overwhelming influx of information.”
He added that the initiative is aimed at delivering “facts, perspective, and insight” at a time when misinformation can easily cloud public understanding.
Echoing the sentiment, CNN-News18 CEO– English and business news Smriti Mehra said the conflict marks a defining global moment, with consequences that extend well beyond the region. She noted that the conclave seeks to present the crisis with “depth, nuance and responsibility” so audiences can better grasp its real-world impact.
As geopolitical tensions continue to dominate headlines, the conclave positions itself as an attempt to bring order to the noise, offering viewers a structured, insight-led look at a complex and rapidly shifting global situation.
