TV channels want to get rid of 'faulty' govt TRP system

• TV channel owners say the govt TRP system for their viewership rating is faulty
• Advertisers are paying less due to inaccurate viewership data, causing them revenue loss
• They seek the resumption of TRP services provided by global firms like Kantar and Nielsen  

Bangladesh's TV channels are seeking to scrap the "faulty" total rating points (TRP) system — a viewership rating service developed by Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited (BSCL) that measures channels' popularity — which they were compelled to adopt earlier this year.

The "flawed TRP" has significantly impacted TV channels' advertising revenues, as they were forced to rely solely on the state-owned BSCL system, according to channel owners and executives.

BSCL's technological limitations have resulted in unreliable TRP data, leading to advertisers paying less due to inaccurate viewership reports, they told TBS.

In a letter to Information and Broadcasting Adviser Md Nahid Islam in September, the Association of TV Channel Owners (ATCO) requested the resumption of TRP services offered by global market research firms like Kantar and Nielsen.

ATCO Director Navidul Huq told TBS that Kantar had been providing the service in Bangladesh for two decades until the government halted it during the pandemic. Channels have faced increasing difficulties after entering BSCL's TRP ecosystem, due to its faulty results, which have been proven inaccurate on several occasions, including viewership reporting during outages.

TBS obtained a copy of BSCL documents apologising for a TV outage on 7 March 2024, which lasted 26 minutes. Other documents revealed that despite the outage, the TRP service team continued to report viewership of Bangladeshi channels.

BSCL promised to provide 1,500 to 2,000 set-top boxes for data collection for ratings, but only 200-300 were actually put into service, said Bangladesh Electronic Media Marketing Association (EMMA) President Md Anisur Rahman Tareq.

The currently active meters are insufficient to assure TV channel advertisers that only 20% of their advertisements are being viewed at any given time, he said.

Deepto TV's Chief Operating Officer, Shubarna Parvin, also said that BSCL's data collection method has been improper.

Due to doubts about viewership accuracy, advertisers have become conservative in paying fair rates, leading to a revenue loss of around 30% for the industry, which consists of approximately 35 satellite TV channels, said Anisur Rahman Tareq.

He estimated that the annual advertising revenue of the TV industry is over Tk1,500 crore.

Anisur alleged that the government's decision to shut down Kantar's services during the pandemic was part of a conspiracy by pro-Awami League channels, which sought to exploit a loophole to manipulate ratings and inflate their viewership. 

He also claimed that the then information and broadcasting minister Hasan Mahmud supported this move to benefit his own TV station, Green TV.

Hasan Mahmud did not respond to TBS's phone calls or text messages.

Additionally, former BSCL chairman Shahjahan Mahmood faced allegations of appointing a private university to develop its TRP system for Tk5 crore without an open tender process.

However, he defended the decision at that time, claiming it was made with good intentions and that the amount spent was relatively small.

When contacted, Md Mamun Or Rashid, public relations officer at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, told TBS that the government had already held a meeting to address industry complaints regarding the TRP system.

A senior BSCL official told TBS on Friday that maintaining the service effectively, while charging each channel Tk1.5 lakh per month, would require significant investment and skill development.

He added that a decision on whether BSCL will improve its services or discontinue them will be made after further discussions.