Government withholds TV News TRPs for four weeks
NATIONAL: The central government withheld reporting of the Television Rating Points (TRPs) for TV news channels for a period of four weeks for working against national security. The harsh measure was adopted during Operation Sindoor and claimed to have been accepted by the stakeholders.
Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr L Murugan told Lok Sabha that some TV news channels were observed to be broadcasting unwarranted, sensational and speculative content. Such behavior by TV channels has been observed during periods of conflict or crisis.
It also had the potential to create panic among the public, especially those having friends and family in the affected areas.
The Minister attributed the action as a precautionary measure and stated that the directions were widely accepted by all stakeholders and no objections against it have been received so far.