For long, broadcasters have been clamouring for an alternative to TAM Media Research?s television audience measurement system. After an almost five-year hiatus, Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) decided to come back back to life with a very specific purpose ? to design, commission, supervise and own India’s television audience measurement system. And to accelerate that purpose, BARC appointed its first CEO, Partho Dasgupta, in May this year.
An IIM ? Kolkata alumnus, Dasgupta has had a strong background in media start-ups such as Times Now and Future Media. He has also worked in a leadership position with The Economic Times during its growth years. Apart from this, he was also associated with Educomp to run its pre-school business and k12 new school initiatives. In his latest assignment, Dasgupta’s mandate is to aggressively push forward BARC’s plans, help put the organisation in place and roll out its services in a tight time-frame. In a conversation with FE Brandwagon’s Anindita Sarkar, Dasgupta elaborates on BARC’s plans and the progress it has made through
its many busy and intricate processes. Edited excerpts.
BARC is expected to start its audience measurement by the first quarter of 2014. Could you elaborate on the progress?
The establishment survey, covering approximately 2.4 lakh individuals across India is already under way. This survey will give us details on television penetration in both urban and rural areas. This will include viewership habits across all broadcasting modes, be it terrestrial, cable and satellite (C&S), direct-to-home (DTH), analog and digital platforms, and other developing and new platforms including newer modes of viewing as well as demographics. The study would become the basis for designing the rating panel.
At the same time, separate RFPs (Request For Proposals) for research and technology have been floated globally. Once the proposals are in, the technical committee will scrutinise all proposals in order to select the best-in-class research methodologies and technology. This will comprise senior experts from the industry representing all stakeholders. Experts in the technology domain are being co-opted to give us insights on the best technology available. So we are ensuring that thought leaders, domain experts and people with relevant skills are all on board from across our stakeholders to assess the best methodologies available globally. The group will look into all three parameters – technology of equipment across all broadcast mechanisms; capture and analysis of data and dissemination of data to users.
The global competitive bidding will ensure that India gets the best-in-class, cutting-edge broadcast measurement system.
What kind of a panel size is BARC looking at and how will TAM’s existing panel size be part of the process?
The final contours of the panel size and dispersion will be decided only after the establishment survey is complete and the proposals studied.
Which are some of the global models that you have looked at when it comes to devising a new measurement system for India?
BARC and its stakeholders have been studying the various models and methodologies adopted by various broadcast measuring companies and organisations across more than 30 countries across the globe. Having said that, India has a lot many complexities that are unique to our country, be it in the demographic or socio-cultural heterogeneity, the linguistic, geographic and economic disparities or even the hours of accessibility to electricity. Any study done in India has to take cognizance of each of these unique complexities, and many more.
Are there any independent surveys done by the IBF to get a sense of what’s happening on ground?
The establishment survey initiated by BARC will give us an extremely good sense of this.
BARC is looking at dividing the ratings mandate amongst multiple companies. Why? What are the advantages?
Firstly, let me reiterate that we are not looking at television research, but broadcast research. The modes of media consumption have increased significantly, including?but not limited to?television, PCs, tablets and other handheld devices. And any research needs to take cognizance of this phenomenon. Secondly, as I mentioned earlier, any broadcast research involves three stages?technology of equipment across all broadcast mechanisms, capture and analysis of data and dissemination of data to users.
While the second stage is pure research and would need a research specialist, the first and third stages are purely technology related. Any pure-play research agency would not have the kind of cutting-edge technology that we envisage for our study, and vice-versa. Hence, it makes eminent sense to combine the best of research with the best of technology to deliver cutting-edge, best-in-class data that would be the gold standard of broadcast research.
When it comes to data analysis, you will need the right minds at hand. Have you formed that team yet?
The analysis will be done by the research agency under supervision of BARC. Over the next few weeks, the technical committee will be strengthened with senior experts from the industry who would help ensure that correct analysis is done. The BARC management will also be having senior research personnel who will ensure proper adherence to all research
protocol, ensuring right data analysis. This team will be formed over the next few months.
