NEW DELHI: Three
TV channels
, including
Republic TV
, are being probed on charges of
TRP
or Television Rating Points manipulation,
Mumbai Police told reporters on Thursday.
Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh said that Republic TV, headed by Arnab Goswami, and two other TV channels - Fakt Marathi and Box Cinema - are under scrutiny for manipulating ratings.
TRP is a tool to judge which TV programmes are viewed the most and also indicates the viewers' choice and popularity of a particular channel.
Giving details of the racket, Singh said that an organisation named 'Hansa' was helping these channels in trying to manipulate the TRPs.
"Around 2,000 barometers installed in Mumbai were being used to manipulate TRPs," Singh said.
"Some people would visit households on behalf of these channels and give them money every month. People were asked to constantly operate these channels," the senior police official said.
According to Mumbai Police, each household would receive Rs 400-500 per month as part of the racket.
"Various households have admitted they were being paid," the police said.
The Detection Crime Branch of Mumbai police, which unearthed the TRP racket, has arrested owners of two Marathi channels, for manipulating viewership ratings, Singh said.
He added that Republic TV promoters and directors will be summoned soon.