I&B Ministry forms Joint Working Group on RPD

Following the recent recommendations of Telecom Regulatory Authority of lndia (TRAI) on audience measurement and report of TRP committee headed by Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati about combining traditional sample-based statistical approaches with big data approaches such as Return Path Data, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has constituted a Joint Working Group.

The group has the mandate to study different aspects of the data capturing including RPD in the context of the audience measurement, international practices, security of the viewership data etc. and submit its report to the ministry within four months.

The group may study successful global best practices in RPD, like that of Canada, the models/ pilots undertaken in India by BARC and other independent experiments by DTH operators and other relevant stakeholders and formulate a mandate for combining the data sources including RPD, if so decided with the existing sampling methodology(ies), read the ministry’s order.

While Vempati has been entrusted as the Chairperson of the Joint Working Group, it will have members from Ministry of Electronics and lnformation Technology, Bureau of lndian Standards, BARC India, All lndia Digital Cable Federation and DTH Association President Harit Nagpal.

The secretariat for the Joint Working Group shall be provided by Prasar Bharati. The group may also invite any domain expert(s), and stakeholders representatives for its deliberations, if required, the ministry said.

The group shall be tasked with the following activities:

(i) Specify minimum standards for RPD capable STBS, SOps for certification and audit of the same.

(ii) Specify common protocols, data standards and modifications to current ratings methodology so that data from RPD capable STBs could be integrated into the current TV ratings system.

(iii) Additionally, specify minimum standards, for any smartphone-based Apps to augment above proposed RPD system for integration into the current TV ratings. Also, specify for SOPs for certification and audit of the same.

(iv) Evolve a consensus for how such different data sets including RPD/ smartphone-based data collection will be priced/ costs shared within the framework of TV ratings system.

(v) Specify consent-based privacy framework to govern all such data collection and use within TV ratings.

(vi) Establish timelines for the rollout of the above with a clear roadmap to guide all stakeholders while laying out points of responsibility for the same.

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