News Broadcasting
Nielsen hit by antitrust lawsuit in US
MUMBAI: US television ratings provider erinMedia and television network ReacTV have filed a antitrust lawsuit in a US District Court against Nielsen Media Research.
The plaintiffs contend that Nielsens monopoly over television ratings has resulted in a distorted view of what millions of Americans are watching and deprives them of a voice in determining what programming stays on America’s airwaves.
The suit seeks to end Nielsens monopoly over television ratings research by, among other things, voiding Nielsens staggered long-term contracts with TV networks and other customers and allowing these customers to take advantage of new interactive set-top box technologies that supersede Nielsens outmoded sampling methods and allow for the counting of every viewer.
erinMedia chairman and CEO and ReacTV founder and CEO Frank Maggio argues that TV networks, advertisers and the American public are all poorly served by Nielsens antiquated methods.
“The American television industry represents not only $60 billion in advertising dollars, but is a $250 billion business that serves 109 million households. Yet today, when service operators can easily capture viewer preferences in a privacy-protected manner, Nielsen still relies on only 7800 of those households to produce national ratings. We believe that the ratings market needs to be opened up to new methods that allow the use of data from every television, every second of every day.
Maggio cited the negative effects of Nielsens monopoly, including wasted advertising dollars, the cancellation of undercounted TV shows, the under-representation of minority viewers, and the homogenisation of American television programming.
It is commonly known that an estimated 10 to 30 per cent of TV advertising is wasted, because Nielsens inaccurate ratings do not allow effective targeting of viewers who might actually buy the advertisers products. Thats $6 billion to $18 billion in wasted ad expenditures that add to the cost of consumer products.
“And until we take advantage of universal data capture from digital set-top boxes, minorities and other viewers will continue to be miscounted, and many of viewers favorite programs will continue to be cancelled. Thats not just monopolistic its anti-democratic.
Set-top data can be gathered today from the 25 million US households that have advanced set top boxes, Maggio noted. As analogue cable and satellite subscribers migrate to these two way boxes, the potential exists to count the votes of more than 85 million households. Nielsens methods largely rely on the self-reported viewing habits of a small sample of recruited and coached viewers. The resulting ratings are presented as fact and do not include error estimates or confidence intervals.
“The other recent alternative is Arbitrons Orwellian Personal People Meters, which are clipped on peoples clothing and measure a persons behavior every hour of every day. Neither is acceptable in our society. Its time to use the digital technology we have today to capture channel changes on a second-by-second, privacy-protected basis.
erinMedias methods, in contrast to Nielsens, use the data captured from digital set-top boxes, of the kind increasingly used by cable and satellite TV networks, to measure second-by-second the choices of every viewer. Individuals personal information is barred from access by erinMedia and the viewing data is captured by the service provider. Demographics are appended to the summarized data using sophisticated mathematical analysis obtained from a second source.
Nielsen has control over every aspect of the ratings process, from data sampling to data collection to data analysis. That allows too much influence and control by a single entity, and the potential for data manipulation by the highest bidder. What America needs instead is a system in which TV networks control access to their customers, a second company captures the data through set-top boxes, and a third company analyzes it Maggio says.
The suit specifically requests, among other things, that the Court award injunctive relief to end Nielsens unlawful monopolisation; that all of Nielsens long-term, staggered contracts immediately become invalidated; and that Nielsen be denied the ability to continue anticompetitive practices such as purchasing its competitors.
Maggio says, The American way is about innovations that let people express their individual preferences. .We dont want to replace Nielsen. There is plenty of room for two players or more. What we do want is a level playing field that allows us and any other players to take advantage of digital technology to reflect the preferences of 25 million people or more as inclusively as possible.
erinMedia is a media research company that focusses on understanding television audience behaviour in all its forms cable, broadcast, satellite, linear, non-linear, and interactive. erinMedia’s methodology combines privacy-compliant tuning data collected from advanced set-top boxes with independently gathered demographic data to produce insights into audience composition and viewing behavior.
With over 135 patent-pending claims, erinMedia states that its proprietary technology produces accurate and timely analysis without the use of personally identifiable information. erinMedia brings experience and expertise in mathematical analysis, statistical modeling, and software development to the science of television audience research.
ReacTV claims to be Americas first creative media production company to develop reactive television programming. ReacTVs patented technology enables interactive gaming networks, where viewers at home compete for prizes, simply by watching and reacting to their TVs. ReacTV has exclusively licensed the patented CRAV Reactive Ad System. This allows broadcasters, publishers and sponsors to create a new level of consumer awareness through reactive advertising.
News Broadcasting
Induction cooktop demand spikes 30× amid LPG supply concerns
Supply worries linked to West Asia tensions push households and restaurants to turn to electric cooking alternatives
MUMBAI: As geopolitical tensions in West Asia ripple through global energy supply chains, the familiar blue flame in Indian kitchens is facing an unexpected challenger: electricity.
What began as concerns over the availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has quickly evolved into a technology-driven shift in cooking habits. Households across India are increasingly turning to induction cooktops and other electric appliances, initially as a backup but now, for many, a necessity.
A sudden surge in demand
Recent data from quick-commerce and grocery platform BigBasket highlights the scale of the shift. According to Seshu Kumar Tirumala, the company’s chief buying and merchandising officer, demand for induction cooktops has risen dramatically.
“Induction cooktops have seen a significant surge in demand, recording a fivefold jump on 10 March and a thirtyfold spike on 11 March,” Tirumala said.
The increase stands out sharply when compared with broader kitchen appliance trends. Most appliance categories are growing within 10 per cent of their typical demand levels, while induction cooktops have witnessed explosive growth as households rush to secure an alternative cooking option.
Major e-commerce platforms including Amazon and Flipkart have reported rising searches and orders for induction stoves. Quick-commerce apps such as Blinkit and Zepto have also witnessed stock shortages in major metropolitan areas including Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
What was once considered a convenient appliance for hostels, small kitchens or occasional use has suddenly become an essential addition in many homes.
A crisis thousands of miles away
The trigger for this shift lies far beyond India’s kitchens.
Escalating conflict in the Middle East has disrupted shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy corridors. Nearly 85 to 90 per cent of India’s LPG imports pass through this narrow waterway, making the country particularly vulnerable to supply disruptions.
The ripple effects have been swift.
India currently meets roughly 60 per cent of its LPG demand through imports, and tightening global supply has already begun to affect domestic availability and prices.
Earlier this month, the price of domestic LPG cylinders increased by Rs 60, while commercial cylinders rose by more than Rs 114.
To discourage panic buying and hoarding, the government has also extended the mandatory waiting period between domestic refill bookings from 21 days to 25 days.
Restaurants feel the pressure
The strain is not limited to households. Restaurants, hotels and roadside eateries are also grappling with supply constraints as commercial LPG availability tightens under restrictions imposed through the Essential Commodities Act.
In cities such as Bengaluru and Chennai, restaurant associations report that commercial LPG availability has dropped by as much as 75 per cent, forcing many establishments to rethink their kitchen operations.
Some restaurants have reduced menu offerings, while others are rapidly installing high-efficiency induction systems, creating hybrid kitchens where electricity now shares the workload with gas.
For smaller eateries and roadside dhabas, the shift is less about sustainability and more about survival.
A potential structural shift
The government has maintained that there is no nationwide LPG crisis and has directed refineries to increase production to stabilise supply.
Nevertheless, the developments of March 2026 may already be triggering a longer-term behavioural shift.
For decades, LPG has been the backbone of cooking in Indian households. However, recent disruptions have highlighted the risks of relying on a single fuel source.
Increasingly, households appear to be hedging against uncertainty by adopting electric cooking options to guard against price volatility and delivery delays.
If the current trend continues, the induction cooktop, once viewed as a niche appliance, could emerge as a quiet symbol of India’s evolving kitchen economy.
