Sony Entertainment Network & Times TV Network pull the plug on TAM; others to follow?

It's official. At the time of writing, two leading Indian TV networks, Multi Screen Media (which runs Sony Entertainment TV, Sab, Max, Pix and Six) and Times Television Network (which runs ET Now, Movies Now, Times Now and Zoom) had officially written to TAM Media Research informing its CEO LV Krishnan that they were stopping their subscription to the weekly TV ratings service from 6 June 2013. Hitherto, it had been reported that Sony was only mulling taking this step. TAM Media CEO confirmed that he had received the cessation notices from both the broadcast networks.

Apparently, more letters from the broadcast industry are likely to follow as many more members of the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) have decided to stop their subscriptions to TAM's ratings, if sources are to be believed.

Says IBF president & MSM CEO Man Jit Singh: "There is a great deal of concern over the credibility and reliability of TAM. Seeing the fluctuations, which are happening since IPL and before that, we have decided to stop subscribing to TAM. The GEC market has shrunk by 20 per cent, which again puts a question mark over the reliability of TAM. Why would I pay for this? The entire IBF has complained and expressed their frustration. They even asked for a suitable explanation but we did not get one."