Shambhavi Thakur
Renting Ferraris in Monaco, purchasing Rolex watches using company funds, and âchangingâ TRPs to get âdesired outcomesâ. These are just some of the unscrupulous practices followed by top former executives of the Broadcast Research Audience Council, according to a forensic audit of its operations.
The audit was done by Acquisory Risk Consulting Pvt Ltd, or ARCPL, a Mumbai-based risk management consultancy after it was approached by the BARC board and management last March. The board had decided to audit and review its records after receiving multiple complaints about alleged malpractices, including inaccuracy in its ratings process for TV channels and the concentration of power in its former senior management. The board included BARC chairman Punit Goenka.
Updated Dec 28, 2020 | 18:18 IST
In the remand note, the Mumbai Police claimed that the ex-BARC CEO favoured Republic TV and that Times Now was the “victim” of the TRP scam. Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami | Photo Credit: IANS
Mumbai: In a fresh development in the TRP scandal case, the Mumbai Police has claimed that lakhs were paid by Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami to Parth Dasgupta, former CEO of the Broadcast Research Audience Council (BARC), to manipulate ratings.
In a remand note, the Mumbai Police claimed that the ex-BARC CEO favoured Republic TV and that Times Now was the “victim” of the TRP scam.
Express News Service
MUMBAI: Former CEO of the Broadcast Research Audience Council (BARC) Parth Dasgupta has allegedly told the Mumbai police that Republic TV owner and Editor Arnab Goswami bribed him lakhs of rupees and costly wristwatch to promote his channels.
The Mumbai police also recovered over three kilograms of silver from Parth Dasgupta house. Dasgupta, who was CEO of BARC between 2013 to 2019 period told Mumbai police that this three kg silver was also bought by money given to him by Arnab Goswami to promote his English TV channel Republic TV and Hindi Republic Bharat.
The crime branch of Mumbai Police on December 24 nabbed 55-year-old Dasgupta in Pune district when he was heading for Pune from Goa. Police said that it has been proven that Dasgupta was connived with Arnab Goswami to rig the TRP rating.
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