In a sensational disclosure, the TV viewership rating agency BARC has confirmed that there has been no case, complaint or proof against Republic TV in the ongoing ‘Fake TRP’ scam as alleged by Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh. This was revealed in an email sent by BARC to Republic network.
The BARC’s mail written to Republic TV has categorically stated that there has been no manipulation by Republic media network. The mail states that if there was any complaint against Republic, BARC would have informed about the same to the media house. With this sensational disclosure by BARC, the entire campaign by Mumbai Police against Republic Media Network has turned out to be a lie.
The BARC e-mail now proves that Mumbai Police Param Bir Singh had lied about the involvement of Republic Media Network in ‘Fake TRP’ scam during the press conference. .
Earlier, Mumbai Police chief Param Bir Singh had addressed a press conference to name Republic TV in the ‘fake TRP’ scam despite the FIR naming India Today in the scam. Param Bir Singh, who had seemingly made up its mind that Republic TV was the culprit, had sent a notice to BARC to acquire their viewership data. Singh had also claimed that BARC had found that Republic TV had carried manipulation in viewership data.
But later it was revealed that both the FIR filed in the case, and the complaint based on which the FIR was filed, had named India Today as guilty of manipulating viewership data, not Republic. Even after this, Mumbai police kept saying Republic is accused on the case, and have continued to shield India Today despite an official FIR against the channel.
In its mail to Republic TV, BARC has now stated that there is no complaint against Republic TV contrary to the claim of Mumbai Police Commissioner Singh, who had gone on lie at the press conference saying that BARC had found irregularities in Republic TV’s TRP data.
“If there was any disciplinary action initiated under the said code against M/s ARG Outlier Media Private Ltd., then BARC would have communicated the same to you along with necessary documents for your response,” the e-mail written by BARC to Republic TV CEO says rejecting the claims made by Mumbai Police chief Param Bir Singh.
The response from BARC comes after Republic media network had urged BARC representatives to confirm in public about the clean chit given by rating agency to the media network. The CEO of Republic TV Vikas Khanchandani had written to BARC CEO requesting him to publicly acknowledge about BARC’s finding that it had found no infringement the Republic TV.
Republic TV responds to BARC’s findings, demands apology from Mumbai Police chief
Responding to e-mail, Republic Media Network said it was delighted to inform that BARC clearly stated that there is not a single complaint or malpractice found against Republic TV, Republic Bharat or any other affiliate of the News Network.
“With the disclosure of BARC, the fake news – based campaign against Republic led by Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh comes to an end,” the media network added.
The media network also said that the Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh’s comments against Republic TV were blatantly false, lies and an extension of political vendetta. The network said that it is now incumbent on him to apologise for his lie-ridden campaign against the news network.
“With today’s disclosure ultimately busting the entire charade of lies Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh tried to personally float against Republic, serious questions regarding the malicious attempt to concoc evidence against the Network come to the fore”.
“Right from his news conference on 8th October 2020 where he claimed that he had received a complaint from BARC against Republic to every news interview, he gave consequently wherein he repeated that unsubstantiated and vicious crafted narrative— the Mumbai Police Commissioner went on a tirade against Republic based on a series of complete lies,” the Republic TV noted.
Slamming other media networks for propagating the lies of Param Bir Singh, Republic TV said, “Now that the truth is out in the public domain, the onus is now on those portals to correct themselves, apologise for the fake news and put out the truth”.
Following the clean chit by BARC, Republic TV also stated that they had always believed the truth has a way of coming out and added that nothing and nobody can stop the truth from coming out.
“Let this case serve as an example before the people of India of just that. Republic will fight every attempt to bury, pressurise and subdue an independent news network by those attempting to fabricate evidence, spreading mistruths and initiating action based on fake allegations,” the network said.
The Republic TV network also said that they have full faith in the Honourable courts of law to take this matter and every other matter in the campaign against us to its logical conclusion.
“We are grateful to the Supreme Court and the High Court for its orders in other cases wherein Republic has been wrongfully targeted. We will fight this campaign against us and come out unscathed, no matter how hard the Mumbai Police or anyone else tries to intimidate and harass us. We will comply with the law of the land, but not for a moment give in to the coercive attempts to shut down our pursuit for truth through our journalism. We will fight this campaign both in the courts of law and the court of public opinion, with the people of India by our side,” the Republic TV said in its statement.
The ‘Fake TRP’ scam
The ‘Fake TRP’ scam has taken a sensational turn in the last two days. On Thursday, Mumbai CP Param Bir Singh, in an explosive statement had accused Republic TV of ‘TRP manipulation’. In a witch hunt attack against Republic TV and Arnab Goswami, the Mumbai Commissioner had claimed, that the channel had illegally paid some households to keep some channels on even if they were not at home to boost their TRP.
However, by the end of the day, it was revealed that in the original FIR, Republic TV did not find a mention anywhere. In fact, it was India Today that had been named in the original FIR. Later, the Joint Commissioner had to admit even India Today was named in the ‘Fake TRP’ FIR.
