What is TRP Rating?

Television rating Point- TRP is the criterion that indicates the popularity of a channel or programme and this data is very useful for the advertisers. In a highly clustered market targeting audiences it is very problematic because in the market there are numerous channels with a variety of programmes catering round the clock to a vast and scattered population. Television ratings provide information about the viewers TV watching habits and the socio-economic background of the audience. This helps advertisers and corporate media planners in selecting the right media at the right time.
Presently, INTAM (Indian Television Audience Measurement) is the only electronic rating agency functioning in India. INTAM uses two methodologies for calculating TRP. First is frequency monitoring, in which 'people meters' are installed in sample homes and these electronic gadgets continuously record data about the channel watched by the family members. 'People meter' is a costly equipment, which is imported from abroad. It reads the frequencies of channels, which are later, decoded into the name of the channels and the agency prepares a national data on the basis of its sample homes readings.
Second technique is more reliable and relatively new to India. In picture matching technique people meter continuously records a small portion of the picture that is being watched on that particular television set. Along with this agency also records all the channels' data in the form of small picture portion. Data collected from the sample homes is later on matched with the main data bank to interpret the channel name. And this way national rating is produced.
Presently, TRP is based upon only a small urban sample of 5500 homes spread all over India.
Many times channels misrepresent the TRP facts in their favour. For example, if a channel gets top ratings during a specific time slot it advertises this fact as number one channel. While in terms of average ratings another channel is on the top. Actually, leading in ratings for a long time has become very difficult to achieve now-a-days. There would be continuous fluctuation in the top positions. TRP has become such a big issue for channels that it is almost dictating the content of television programmes. Once the TRP crosses six points, the producer feels no dearth of advertisers. Unless and until a new and more reliable mode of ratings is evolved advertisers, channels have no other option but to rely upon the present system of TRP only and viewers to suffer it.