Television rating agency BARC India said Republic Network, allegedly involved in rigging rating process to bag higher TRP (Television Rating Point), has misrepresented a private confidential communication to fabricate facts.
The response came after Republic Network aired the contents of an email communication from BARC that reportedly mentioned that it did not file any complaint against the network on TRP tampering.
Claiming innocence, the channel stated that it was wrongfully been targeted by the Mumbai Police for its reportage on Sushant Singh Rajput case.
“BARC India has not commented on the ongoing investigation and it is providing necessary assistance to the law enforcement agency,” BARC India said in a statement on Sunday.
“BARC India is highly disappointed with the actions of the Republic Network by disclosing private and confidential communications and misrepresenting the same,” it stated.
“BARC India reiterates that it has not commented on the ongoing investigation and without prejudice to BARC India’s rights, it expresses its dismay at the actions of the Republic Network,” it added.
Republic report on site
Republic Network had stated on its website that its CEO Vikas Khanchandani wrote an email to BARC India CEO Sunil Lulla on October 16, 2020, seeking to “confirm in the public domain” that the “BARC and its vigilance team has found no infringement by Republic TV (ARG Outliers Media Pvt. Ltd)”.
“In response to Vikas Khanchandani's email, BARC responded on October 17, 2020, by thanking the network for their “faith in the internal mechanisms of BARC” and said that “if there was any disciplinary action initiated against ARG Outlier Media Private Ltd, then BARC India would have communicated the same to you along with necessary documents for your response”, the report on the website said.
The report added, “Thus, this e-mail proves that BARC did not allege any malpractice against the Republic Media Network, and yet, the Mumbai Police Commissioner floated a factually-bereft campaign against it, which has been comprehensively exposed at every turn”.