TAM set to exit TV ratings business this month

TAM India has confirmed its exit from the TV ratings business from later this month.

The company will team-up with BARC India for meter management, which will be known as Meterology Data Pvt Ltd (MDL). It has been effective from today and will commence operations by the end of this month. TAM India meters will be re-deployed in panel homes selected by BARC India. This venture will help grow BARC India’s sample size. BARC India will have a majority stake in the joint-venture.

With this change, BARC India will be the single provider of television audience data. TAM India will report its last data on 29th February 2016.

TAM Media Research CEO LV Krishnan said, ���I am very happy to see that the JV has finally taken shape. What is even more heartening is that TAM India�۪s current 12,000 meters, which was built and constructed tirelessly over the last fifteen years will get combined to give BARC India a larger and robust TV panel sample base for the Industry. We will do our best in providing our expertise to MDL. Meanwhile, TAM India will continue focusing its efforts towards value adding the Industry through constant enhancements of its existing businesses.�۝

���The Industry was eagerly waiting for this merger to be completed from the time we announced it in August last year. We are happy to state that the Joint Venture Company is complete and all set to kick-off operations,�۝ said BARC India CEO Partho Dasgupta.

���We will work closely with BARC to ensure a good outcome for the industry and our joint clients. We have worked productively with BARC to get here and under the circumstances, have agreed a good way forward for everyone concerned,�۝ added Kantar CEO Eric Salama.

���We are happy to collaborate with BARC India. The coming together of BARC India and TAM India has only strengthened the Indian broadcast industry, as they will now be getting viewership trends from a larger panel size,�۝ informed Nielsen MD Prashant Singh.