Hyderabad: The Union government has temporarily halted TRP ratings for television news channels.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting directed the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) to stop releasing weekly viewership data immediately.
Officials instructed BARC not to publish audience measurement figures for news channels for four weeks or until further directions.
Centre suspends ratings to curb sensational reporting
The ministry said several television channels created unnecessary sensationalism while reporting tensions between Israel and Iran in West Asia.
According to officials, some channels aired speculative and exaggerated reports to gain higher viewership.
Such coverage could trigger panic among viewers. Families with relatives in the region may feel greater anxiety.
Therefore, the government halted the TRP ratings system temporarily to discourage sensational reporting driven by ratings competition.
This is not the first such move. Earlier, BARC suspended news channel ratings for nearly three months during the TRP scam 2020 investigation.
The latest decision may ease intense competition among television news channels for some time.