News Broadcasting
NBF seeks clarity from BARC in TRP manipulation case
NEW DELHI: In a fresh turn of events in the TRP manipulation scam, News Broadcasters Federation (NBF) has sought clarification from the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) over the way the matter is being handled by the Mumbai police.
Last evening, NBF vice-president and Prag News CEO Sanjive Narain questioned the regulator on-air while speaking to Republic TV CEO and editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami on his show. He said, “The country deserves to know the structure of BARC and people who are running it. They are answerable not just to Republic TV but also 70-80 other news channels that they are monitoring. They have to come out with an open statement regarding the case.”
Further, he lambasted the Maharashtra government and the Mumbai police for their investigation in the case. He also raised questions on the legal stance on the dual-frequency issue as well.
“Running on dual-frequency was never a criminal offence and it still is not. No one can run their channels directly. They have to pay the carriage fee to the MSO. The MSO is the decision-maker. In case, if there was a TRAI regulation regarding this, you must be questioning the MSOs.”
He added that it seemed like the actions of the law enforcement authorities is a clear case of vendetta against the promoters of Republic Media.
Additionally, Twenty Four chief editor Sreekandan Nair pointed out that the matter of rigging ratings must be handled by either TRAI or BARC, and not by the Mumbai police.
The Republic has been caught in the eye of a storm after the Mumbai police publicly claimed to have unearthed a TRP manipulation racket in the city back in October. Since then, the channel's employees and members of the core management have been called in for questioning. 12 arrests have been made in the case, the latest being that of Republic CEO Vikas Khanchandani. The NBF had issued a statement calling Khanchandani's arrest and two-day remand in police custody "highly disturbing."
News Broadcasting
India Today Group debuts AI anchor ‘Sutra’ at AI Impact Summit 2026
Sutra aims to simplify live policy debates using sovereign AI models
NEW DELHI: India Today Group has unveiled Sutra, an AI-driven news anchor designed to deliver real-time, contextual reporting, marking the group’s latest push to integrate artificial intelligence into mainstream journalism.
The AI anchor was introduced at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi and developed in collaboration with BharatGen, with the initiative showcased by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
India Today Group said Sutra is built to navigate complex policy discussions and fast-moving developments by synthesising information into concise, accessible insights, aimed at narrowing the gap between high-level debates and public understanding. The AI anchor was used to surface live takeaways from key sessions at the summit.
India Today Group chief AI officer Nilanjan Das, said the project was focused on clarity and accessibility without diluting editorial rigour. He added that working with BharatGen aligned the group’s AI ambitions with India’s broader push towards sovereign technology capabilities.
BharatGen CEO Rishi Bal, said the partnership reflected a shift from basic automation towards deeper contextual intelligence in media. He emphasised the importance of indigenous, multimodal AI models capable of understanding Indian languages, regional dialects and cultural nuance, particularly as AI-driven news formats gain traction.
The launch positions India Today Group among the first major Indian media houses to deploy an AI anchor backed by home-grown technology, underscoring a growing convergence between journalism, public policy and sovereign AI infrastructure.
