TRP Fraud Racket: Fakt Marathi, Box Cinemas - Know About Other 2 Channels Involved In Viewership Scam Apart From Republic TV

Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh informed that apart from Republic TV, two other media outlets involved in the case are - Fakt Marathi and Box Cinema.

(Representative Image/ Getty)

Mumbai: In a sensational revelation, Mumbai Police on Thursday claimed to have busted a Television Rating Point (TRP) fraud racket that reportedly involves three media companies including Arnab Goswami-led Republic TV. Mumbai Police Commissioner said that the Crime Branch of the state Police is investigating the case and strict action will be taken against those found guilty.  While speaking to reporters, Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh informed that other two media outlets involved in the case are - Fakt Marathi and Box Cinema. He also added that owners of these two companies have been arrested and Republic TV, was yet to be summoned. Ever since Singh addressed the press conference, Republic TV came the talk of the town. However, details about the other two media houses remained unknown. Here's all you need to know about Fakt Marathi & Box Cinema involved in TRP fraud scam apart from Republic TV: Fakt Marathi Launched in 2016, Fakt Marathi is a 24-hour Marathi general entertainment channel based in Mumbai and owned by Enterr10 Television Pvt. Ltd. Its broadcasting area is limited to Maharashtra. This channel is Free-to-Air and available on the direct to home providers such as Reliance Digital TV (Big TV), Tata Sky, Airtel digital TV and Dish TV. Fakt Marathi channel shows Marathi serials and Marathi films. It also runs Marathi-dubbed versions of other popular Hindi serials. Owners of Fakt Marathi has been arrested by Mumbai Police and charged with sections 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) and 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent) of the Indian Penal Code. Box Cinema BOX Cinema is broadcast in India across various states by Box Cinema Broadcast and is available on Dish TV platform. The primary language(s) this channel is broadcast in is Hindi. BOX Cinema is categorised as Movies Channel and is streamed in SD (Standard Definition). In compliance with TRAI Guidelines, Box Cinema Broadcast has declared BOX Cinema as a Free To Air channel (FTA). The TRP Fraud Scam Mumbai police on claimed to have busted a Television Rating Points (TRP) manipulation racket, adding four persons have been arrested in this case.  TRP is a tool to judge which TV programmes are viewed the most and also indicates the viewers' choice and popularity of a particular channel. Manipulated TRP ratings result in miscalculated targeted audience for the advertisers, Singh said, adding this results in losses of hundreds of crores of rupees because of such manipulations and fake statistics of TRPs. TRP is calculated on the basis of TV channel viewership in a confidential set of households. As per the revelation, those involved in the racket would bribe people in these households and ask them to keep some channels switched on even when they weren't watching or not at home. What Is BARC? The Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) releases weekly rating points for TV channels in India and its officials are also being questioned in connection with the case. There are 2,000 barometers installed in Mumbai to monitor TRPs, Singh said, adding BARC gave contract to Hansa agency for monitoring these barometers. BARC is an industry body set up to design, commission, supervise and own an accurate, reliable and timely TV audience measurement system and is guided by recommendations of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. It helps provide data points to plan media spends more effectively. Mumbai Police Investigation In The Case During the Police investigation it came to light that some former employees of the agency were involved in compromising the data and they were sharing it with some television companies. According to Police, many people in whose homes these barometers have been installed, have accepted that they were getting monetary benefit for keeping their TV sets on even when they did not watch it. As Republic TV manipulated TRPs, the channel owner, directors and promoters will also be probed.