Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC)

Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC)

World's largest television measurement science industry-body, Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India is a joint-industry body founded by bodies that represent Broadcasters (IBF), Advertisers (ISA) and Advertising & Media Agencies (AAAI).

Establishment of BARC

BARC was established as an autonomous ‘not for profit’ body duly registered under the Companies Act, 2013. It was created by a team of leading professionals including information technology and multilateral development experts, lawyers, finance and tax experts as also media professionals with 10 years of experience in the broadcast media industry.

Objective of BARC

The objective behind its formation is to make media that informs, educates, and entertains but at the same time become a credible source of information. BARC India owns and manages a transparent, accurate, and inclusive TV audience measurement system. Whereas Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) has 60% stake holding, Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA) and Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) both have 20%-20% stake holding.

How BARC came into existence?

The Television Rating Points are decided by the TAM and Indian Television Audience Measurement (TVAM) agencies. They have displayed two different ratings for each show at different times. This has led to a major turmoil in the television industry. There were also queries over the data the TVAM provided. The difference between the data provided by TVAM and TAM was up to 15-20 percent of viewership.

TAM bought over the INTAM in 2001, leading to cartelisation in the TRP system, killing any possibility of scrutiny of the figures provided by TAM. As a result, despite having 35 out of the top 50 programmes in all TV homes, none of the Door darshan channels was present in the top 50 slots in the C&S (Cable & Satellite) homes category, as per the data of TAM.

In another such controversy, a news channel with just 4 per cent prime time news was declared as number 1(“sab se Tez”) by TAM instead of DD National with 92 per cent share in prime-time news. Data was collected on the basis of 2,000 “BAR-O-meters” installed one each in a house, on the back cover of the TVs.

The controversy was raised in the parliament in 2008. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) asked the Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRAI) to frame policy guidelines for rating agencies. TRAI recommended for self-regulation through an industry-led body, the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC). Thus, BARC came into existence.

In Jan. 2014, MIB notified Policy Guidelines for Television Rating Agencies and in 2015 BARC was accredited to television ratings in India. In 2016, TAM exited TV viewership measurement, not BARC is the sole TV rating service provider.