Twitterati Lauds Bajaj Auto And Parle As They Blacklist News Channels Promoting Toxic Content

In a recent allegation, the Mumbai Police claimed that some media channels in India manipulate and pay people to watch their channels and thus gain higher television rating points (TRPs). At least three TV channels were busted in the report surrounding which the police nabbed four people. Since then, the Crime Branch has questioned many related to the supposed scam.

TRP or Target Rating Point is a metric used by marketing and advertising agencies to indicate the percentage of the target audience reached by a campaign or advertisement through a communication medium. In the case of television, a device is attached to the TV set in a few thousand viewers’ houses to measure impressions.

Besides this, there has also been massive debate about TV coverage of various topics, with many alleging that there was a rising level of toxicity that was being promoted.

Such developments have not only irked the citizens nationwide but also affected the advertising criteria of the two most loved companies of India.

After the Mumbai Police first announced the developments, two and three-wheeler manufacturer Bajaj Auto and Parle (best known for its biscuits named Parle G)have blacklisted three channels for their company’s advertisements.

On October 9, Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director, Bajaj Auto, declared that their company Bajaj Auto brand has never been associated with any channel that the company deemed to be toxic for the society at large. Without naming any channel, he said that his company’s teams are able to identify both TV channels as well as newspapers with toxic undertones and ones that engage in hate-mongering. He added that the Bajaj will not be associated with such channels, no matter what the consequences for the business may be.

Days after, on October 11, Parle has followed suit. Krishnarao Buddha, the Senior Category Head of Marketing at Parle Products further quoted that the company is also exploring possibilities that would see other advertisers come together to create a restrain that would in turn prompt channels to improve their content.

“We are exploring possibilities wherein other advertisers can come together and sort of put a restraint on their advertising spends on news channels, so that there is some sort of a clear signal to all the news channels, that they better change their content,” he was quoted as saying to LiveMint.

Meanwhile, netizens are full of praise over both the company’s decision.

What’s your opinion on Bajaj and Parle’s decision?

We at LifeBeyondNumbers have pledged to bring exclusively positive news. We hold nothing against any media organization. Keep visiting us to feel the positivity.