How Arnab Goswami fooled everyone on TRPs

Ever since revelations of the Acquisory Consulting audit report which proved Republic Media Network rigging TRPs in connivance with former BARC India CEO Partho Dasgupta, Arnab Goswami has been broadcasting lies and false narratives. Lies that get louder with time to make his viewers believe that he was the lone warrior fighting against the unjust world.

The propaganda of the owner and Editor-in-Chief of Republic has been effective up to some extent as he has successfully instilled his narrative in the minds of his core viewers’ base. 

Also read: Five years on, here's how Arnab Goswami continues to trick television ratings

But with his disgraceful behaviour displayed on-air after the ratings for news channels were resumed after 17 months, Goswami reminds us of a famous saying about a cat and an ostrich. A cat closes its eyes while drinking milk and thinks nobody is watching. An ostrich buries its head in the sand and thinks no one is watching.

Goswami’s on-air behaviour was disgraceful not only because he hurled uncivilised remarks at the competition in a manner that was childish, to say the least, but also because he called names only to satisfy his false ego and feel vindictive.

To check if the theatrics rolled out by Goswami on air on March 17 hold any truth, NewsDrum.in has examined all of Goswami’s claims.

Republic TV - a couple of news websites had reported on the counting day how Goswami tricked the TRP system yet again by running Hindi feed on his English news channel during peak counting hours. The simulcast was deliberately planned to rig TRPs. If this was not the case, would he have anchored in English and showed the same feed on his Hindi news channel? Not at all.

Industry watchers say the impact of counting day would remain till the next four weeks given the release of viewership on the basis of a four-week rolling average. “Soon after that, all the English news channels will reflect better ratings and there could be a possibility of change in the pecking order as well. Arnab should have kept this in mind while planning his theatrics so that he does not get embarrassed in coming weeks,” said an industry observer.

Republic Bharat - The channel is clearly at No. 3 as reported by BestMediaInfo.com both in 5-weeks’ data and in the latest week’s data. However, the channel’s evening show “Poochhta hai Bharat” was the slot leader and Goswami kept calling Republic Bharat No. 1 on the basis of one show. 

Channels use different cuts on the basis of TG and markets to claim No. 1 position which is understandable. Say, anyone can claim that the channel is no. 1 in metros, rural or urban markets. Similarly, anyone can claim No. 1 among 15+ years or 2+ years or 22+ years. Marketers need such data and leadership to target their audience. But you would not see a channel claiming No. 1 position basis one show.

Republic Bangla - Goswami claimed that Republic Bangla was No. 1 in 5-6 pm, 6-7 pm and 7-8 pm bands. And hence, Republic Bangla was No. 1 channel.

On crosschecking the data, we were told that it was a lie. In all cuts and TG, Republic Bangla was number 2.