MIB asks BARC to pause news TV ratings amid Iran-Israel-US war

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has directed the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) to suspend the release of Television Rating Points (TRP) for news channels for the next four weeks, reports CNBCTV18.

The move comes amid concerns over the quality of coverage surrounding the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict.

The ministry stated that it had observed several news broadcasters airing "unwarranted sensationalism and speculative content" while reporting on the West Asia conflict, noting that such coverage could trigger anxiety among viewers, particularly those with friends and family in the affected regions.

Officials indicated that the temporary suspension is intended to discourage competitive sensationalism driven by the pursuit of higher viewership metrics during sensitive geopolitical developments.

The pause effectively halts the weekly release of TRP data that broadcasters, advertisers and media planners rely on to track audience share and gauge advertising performance.