Media house Bennett Coleman & Company Ltd (BCCL), parent of news channels like Times NOW and Mirror NOW, has sent has sent a legal notice to BARC India and its management seeking a compensation of a cumulative sum of over Rs 431 crore, plus interest.
This move almost puts the industry at war with itself as TV audience measurement company Broadcast Audience Research Council India (BARC) is an industry body with IBF as its major shareholder. And, Times TV Network is a member of Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) too.
According to a report in Times of India, sibling of Times and Mirror NOW, the legal notice was sent on February 11, 2021 following a probe of the ratings controversy by Mumbai police at a time when BARC was helmed by CEO Partho Dasgupta.