Mumbai : With the indication from market sources that BARC is slated to commence in the month of April this year. The members of AAAI (Advertising Agencies Association of India) IBF (the Indian Broadcasting Foundation )were directed to gear up for the subscription of BARC ratings, which means a review on their existing deal with TAM.
With most of the players in Agency and Broadcast sector not willing to spend on subscribing both the ratings, the present scenario is favouring BARC as they believe that BARC is expected to deliver a more realistic data and address various short comings they currently witness with TAM data.
Market sources also confirm that Media agencies and Broadcasters have now taken the next step forward by writing to TAM to cancel their subscription, as the commencement date for the new measurement system BARC is on the horizon. The possible cancellation of subscription of TAM date would be effective from 31st March 2015.
Highly placed industry sources indicate that four of the top media agencies have already written to TAM to cancel subscription and many broadcasters are also expected to follow the suite in upcoming days.
BARC being a joint industry body of broadcasters, advertising agencies and advertisers through their trade bodies – the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), AAAI and Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA) – to set up a more credible and robust TV audience measurement system, it plays a major role in integrating these three industries which are interdependent on each other. Due to this factor the members are in a made up mood to fully support BARC despite what ever be the initial hiccups they might face.
On the other hand BARC is also gearing up itself to deliver a most reliable service from the day one and position itself as a formidable alternative for TAM.
With all the above factors, its certain that TAM is likely to lose its major chunk of cliental to BARC which means a huge drop in revenue too. This scenario is surely casting an over shadow on the future of TAM.
This definitely spells a dooms day approaching for TAM…