Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MI&B)has called the representative of the broadcasting and advertising association for an immediate setting up of Broadcast Audience Measurement Council (BARC).

MIB has asked the Indian Broadcasting Foundation(IBF), Advertising Agencies Association of India(AAAI) and Indian Advertising Society (ISA)to also give an action plan over the next few days on the specific steps that would be taken to launch BARC, the first of which would be completion of signing the Articles of Association.

MI&B has also asked the association to set up technical and high level committee within a week. According to the I&B secretary U K Varma expressed that the government run Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP). Would be a member of the technical committee and Prasar Bharati will be represented in BARC high level committee.

BARC is designed to be the apex body for TV measurement that will appoint research agencies to contribute to the ratings system in India and a viable alternative to TAM.The decision regarding BARC was a part of the meeting where Prasar Bharati expressed that it would approach Competition Commission of India and file a case against TAM.

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