News Broadcasting
Industry reaction mixed to CNBC report
Hours after business channel CNBC India put out a report casting doubts on the reliability of the ratings systems in India, reactions from the industry were mixed.
CNBC aired its story after its reporter Naomi Dutta got her hands on what CNBC claims is the full list of 627 households in Mumbai that had peoplemeters – the data source for television ratings points for both the market research agencies ORG Marg’s Intam as well as AC Nielsen’s Tam data.
If what the report says is true I would be very, very concerned. The implications are extremely disturbing, Andrey Purushottam, managing director, Starcom, said, when asked for his reaction to a scenario where confidentiality could not be guaranteed.
“TRP numbers are used to evaluate trends rather than snapshots,” Alex Kuruvilla, MD MTV India, said, adding that whatever the merits of the CNBC story, the ratings by and large reflect the prevailing reality.
Intam MD Gautam Mitra pointed out that while he still had to ascertain whether the list that CNBC had was a comprehensive one, it was not as if the system did not have checks and balances in place. Mitra also clarified that whatever may be the claims of the reporter about how she went about getting her list, getting hold of the names of homes which had people meters was not a very easy thing to do.
Mitra however, admitted that if CNBC actually did have the complete list of people meters in Mumbai, then it was an issue which would have to be looked into thoroughly.
Tam president GV Krishnan was extremely critical of CNBC for going public on the issue. “Unfortunately, when somebody succeeds (Star) the guns point at him. They have an industry body (Indian Broadcasting Foundation) and we were in regular discussions with them. They could have talked about it there rather than gone public with it. It’s an industry issue, not a public issue. Going to the public doesn’t make sense.”
“We were not told about this issue by CNBC,” Krishnan stressed. “Anyway, nowhere in the world is any metering system totally foolproof.” Krishnan added that if there were no TRPs channels would be able to charge what they want (to advertisers).
Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) president Ramesh Narayan said the system in India was the same as is followed in the rest of the world so there was no need to get all worked up although he did admit that it was a wake up call to the industry.
Mitra said the way it worked was that as soon as the agencies got any inkling that anyone from their sample had been contacted then that person was immediately removed from their sample list.
Intam also carries out what Mitra called coincidental studies – where a completely different set of people were approached to get a proper perspective. “We also commission third-party agencies to carry out surveys.” Mitra said it was information culled from all these surveys that goes into making the research agency’s ratings charts.
One industry source dismissed the report as a storm in a teacup. “Everybody knows that there is always a possibility to manipulate people meters. Basically ratings are nothing more than a tool to gauge trends in viewership patterns. Nobody in the industry really believes that this is foolproof data. This report in no way compromises what the ratings system is all about.”
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Kolkata Town Hall on Hooghly River
‘Bhalobasa Bengal Inspiring Bharat’ event on April 20 brings cultural icons, trailblazing women and leaders aboard a cruise to celebrate Bengal’s enduring influence.
MUMBAI: Bengal is about to make fresh waves on the Hooghly and this time the current is pure conversation. CNN-News18 is taking its iconic Town Hall format to the waters of the iconic Hooghly River on 20 April 2026 with a special edition titled ‘Bhalobasa Bengal – Inspiring Bharat’. The floating event will celebrate the state’s rich cultural legacy and how its ideas, creativity and spirit continue to shape the rest of the country.
The unique riverside setting draws on Bengal’s history as a cradle of reform, art and intellectual thought. The speaker line-up mirrors that diversity: cultural heavyweights Mithun Chakraborty and Sreenanda Shankar will share the stage with trailblazing “Devis” such as Tanya Sanyal (India’s first woman firefighter in aviation), Ipsita Chakraborty (Kolkata’s first woman bartender) and Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi (Nari Shakti awardee and marine pilot). Music will flow through the celebrated pianist-vocalist duo Sourendro and Soumyojit, while public life and governance will be represented by Smriti Irani, Leander Paes, Saira Shah Halim, Keya Ghosh, Rekha Patra, Roopa Ganguly and Babul Supriyo.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director, Rahul Shivshankar, said the event honours voices that carry Bengal’s legacy forward. Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, added that Bengal’s stories resonate far beyond its borders, especially as the state heads into polls.
From the first woman to battle flames in the skies to legendary actors who shaped Indian cinema, the gathering promises a rich mix of inspiration, courage and candid dialogue. In a city where culture has always flowed as freely as the river itself, CNN-News18 is turning the Hooghly into a floating forum for ideas that matter.
Tune in on 20 April on CNN-News18, CTV and YouTube to catch Bengal’s heartbeat in full flow.
