Tue Dec 02 18:48:46 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the text, followed by a news article based on that information:

Summary:

The Kalamassery police have filed a case against a BARC official (Premnadh, senior manager) and the owner of the Malayalam news channel Reporter for alleged forgery of channel ratings. The complaint was filed by C. Unnikrishnan, senior vice president of 24 News, who alleges that Premnadh manipulated rating data to favor Reporter and diminish 24 News’ viewership, leading to a loss of ₹15 crore in advertising revenue. The charges include criminal breach of trust, cheating, and using forged documents under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

News Article:

BARC Official, Reporter Channel Owner Face Forgery Charges in Kerala Channel Ratings Scandal

Kochi, India – December 3, 2025 – The Kalamassery police in Kerala have launched an investigation into alleged manipulation of television ratings, filing a case against a senior official from the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) and the owner of Malayalam news channel Reporter.

The First Information Report (FIR) was lodged on Monday, December 1st, following a complaint by C. Unnikrishnan, Senior Vice President of rival channel 24 News. Unnikrishnan alleges that Premnadh, a senior manager at BARC, deliberately forged rating data to inflate Reporter channel’s viewership figures while simultaneously suppressing those of 24 News. The owner of Reporter channel is named as the second accused.

According to the FIR, the alleged manipulation began around July 14, 2025. Premnadh is accused of providing Reporter with confidential data gleaned from rating meters, allowing them to falsely project higher viewership numbers. 24 News claims this has resulted in a loss of approximately ₹15 crore in advertising revenue.

The accused face charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Section 316(2) (criminal breach of trust), Section 318 (cheating), and Section 340 (use of forged documents or electronic records).

The investigation is ongoing. BARC is the industry body responsible for measuring and reporting television viewership in India. Any manipulation of its data could have significant ramifications for the entire broadcasting industry.

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