India's BARC Appoints New Chairman

In India, Chintamani Rao, the CEO of TV broadcaster Times Now, has been appointed as Chairman of the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) for a fixed term of two years.

BARC is an umbrella organisation formed by ad sector industry associations in September last year to oversee and control the television audience measurement system in India. The council is currently looking for a substitute or alternative to TAM Media Research's peoplemeter system.

The council Chairman's role was initially filled by former CEO of ZEE Entertainment, Pradeep Guha, who stepped down last month.

Indian Broadcasting Federation (IBF) President Jawahar Goel said of Rao's appointment: 'This was a Board decision and Chinta is one of the few people who ensure that they are always available for any of the initiatives of the industry. And we believe he is the apt choice for this role.'

BARC is planning to launch its TV audience measurement system by January 2009. The system aims to escape the controversies surrounding the current rating system and bring more clarity and transparency.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.