Former Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) Chief Executive Partho Dasgupta and journalist Arnab Goswami allegedly colluded to give the latter’s news channel, Republic TV, an advantage over rivals, according to purported WhatsApp conversations between the two that went viral Friday.
Among other things, the purported conversations show discussions between the two about lobbying with politicians and the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) against certain reform proposals regarding TV ratings.
The WhatsApp conversations are part of Mumbai Police’s investigation into alleged manipulation of Television Rating Points (TRPs) by news channels, including Republic TV and a few others.
According to the title of these documents, they were recorded by Mumbai’s Kandivali police station as part of the panchanama for Dasgupta’s mobile phone on 26 December last year. The chats online purportedly detail conversations between Goswami and “PDG”. The Mumbai Police documents identify the latter as Dasgupta.
Mumbai Police arrested Dasgupta on 24 December last year and has filed a charge sheet and a supplementary charge sheet in the case since then.
Reached for comment, Mumbai Deputy Commissioner of Police S. Chaitanya said, “The Mumbai Police has no comment on these documents.”
The BARC spokesperson declined to comment as well. “As the matter is a subject of an ongoing investigation by the various law enforcement agencies, we are constrained to respond to your enquiries,” the spokesperson said.
On 16 October 2019, Dasgupta asked Goswami to check if he could help him get a “media advisor kind of position with PMO” as he was “fed up with BARC”.
The two also discussed how actor Kangana Ranaut’s interview to Republic TV in the aftermath of Sushant Singh Rajput’s death in June 2020 generated TRPs for the channel.
Dasgupta purportedly praised Goswami’s interview for making Ranaut say things that were “controversial”.
In a chat dated 16 August 2019, Dasgupta allegedly complained to Goswami that journalist Rajat Sharma was giving him trouble for his “proximity” with him. But Goswami purportedly told him not to worry as “Rajat is in a mess with Jaitley almost gone”.
“Rajat is over. don’t take his bullshit anymore,” Goswami said, but Dasgupta told him that “others do”.
On Rajat Sharma’s appointment as president of the News Broadcasters Association, a body representing TV news channels, in September 2019, Dasgupta told Goswami, “So mota bhai influence didn’t work here, Rajat was elected as NBA head.”
“Mota bhai” is the term Gujaratis use to address elder brothers.
Talking about the appointment of Sourav Ganguly as BCCI chief later that year, Goswami said, “Rajat looks like an utter fool as he has announced that he will be taking over BCCI.”
The chat appears to be a reference to buzz that Sharma was vying for the post of BCCI president.
The documents show that, on a number of occasions, Dasgupta and Goswami allegedly shared confidential data with each other.
In 2017, Dasgupta allegedly said to Goswami, “If you have exclusives lined up you should talk to BARC to release data first week. We don’t give daily reach figure to everyone — happy teams are unofficially coordinating.”
Similarly, after the launch of Republic Bharat in 2019, Goswami told Dasgupta, “I will fight all out Partho boss. Honestly, will not spare a single effort and will implement every suggestion to take us to the highest position. Won’t let a second on air go without winning.”
Dasgupta responded, “Am sure boss, nowhere would we share things as we do with you.”
Later that month, one of Dasgupta’s purported messages to Goswami said, “I strongly wish for your success. Meanwhile, I am being pissaoed (crushed) in between government and big broadcasters.”
In another message, Goswami allegedly told Dasgupta, “Reminder of the stuff you have to give me on BARC? Meeting mid next week.” To this, Dasgupta responded, “Check gmail. Use your own language”
Goswami said, “Yes I shall tweak add and expand on what I had done.”
In July 2019, Arnab allegedly complained to Dasgupta that he was badly hit as the TRPs were not up to the mark. Dasgupta then allegedly suggested that he take a look at the “confidential break strategy”. He added that he had asked Romil Ramgarhia, another BARC official, to show him how the News 18 strategy works.
According to the documents, Goswami said, “I will review the break strategy”
Dasgupta replied, “I have asked Romil to show you what kind of cuts happens (sic) in News 18.”
“Have a look. Confidential of course,” he purportedly said.
Goswami allegedly responded, “I appreciate. Will also take inputs on break strategy.”
