Police sources said some viewers have testified they were paid to keep Republic TV on even when they were not watching.
In connection with a police case for alleged manipulation of ratings to show the news channel and its programmes as the most-watched, Republic TV’s distribution head has been arrested.
Ghanshyam Singh is the 12th accused to be taken in by the Mumbai Police in connection with the case over alleged manipulation of a television rating point or TRP. Singh heads distribution in the channel run by arrested anchor Arnab Goswami
Last week, Mr Goswami was arrested in a separate case from his Mumbai home, after the police said they had found new evidence in an abetment to suicide case filed in 2018. Mr Singh will be produced before a court today.
Police sources said some viewers have testified they were paid to keep Republic TV on even when they were not watching. Two local channels – Fakt Marathi and Box Cinema – were named in early investigations into the alleged TRP scam.
The Mumbai Police had said the TRP scam emerged during a larger analysis of manipulation of news trends and how a “false narrative” was being spread, especially on the investigation into actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death.
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.
