# Republic Bharat

Republic Bharat (stylized as R. भारत) is a free-to-air Indian Hindi-language news channel affiliation of Republic TV, launched on 2 February 2019, operated and owned by Republic Media Network. It is also available on DD Free Dish. It is a sister channel of Republic TV, which broadcasts news primarily in English; both were founded by Arnab Goswami.

## History

Republic Bharat was launched on 2 February 2019 through satellite and cable platforms. Republic Bharat launched in the United Kingdom through the Sky platform on August 15. It has a separate UK beam with locally curated programs and events.
In October 2020, according to the Broadcast Audience Research Council, Republic Bharat has the highest TV viewership among all Hindi news channels in India. Republic Bharat launched its digital platform in October 2023.

### Regulatory complaints

Soon after the launch of the channel, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) received three complaints against the channel alleging that the channel was violating TRAI's broadcast sector regulations. The complaint was filed by TV Today. According to the complaint, Republic Bharat had declared its genre as Hindi news, but it was being added in additional genres. This was seen as a deliberate attempt to illegally garner higher Broadcast Audience Research Council ratings and increase viewership.

### Fake 'TRP scam' case to implicate Republic Bharat

In 2020, Mumbai Police initiated an investigation into the Television Rating Points (TRP) manipulation scam of the channel after a complaint was filed that some channels were fraudulently inflating their viewership ratings. With an inflated TRP, ARG Outlier Media (the company which owns Republic World and Republic Bharat) was able to bargain for higher revenue from advertisers.
In October 2020, upon receiving a complaint accusing some channels of fraudulently inflating their viewership ratings, Mumbai Police launched an investigation into Republic World's viewership ratings. The police allege that the channel inflated its ratings by bribing low-income individuals, including people who did not comprehend English, to keep their televisions tuned to Republic World; logs of WhatsApp chats between Goswami and the former chief executive of Broadcast Audience Research Council (the agency responsible for measuring TRP) were published to provide further evidence of collusion. The inflated TRP was leveraged to bargain for higher revenues from advertisers.

#### Enforcement Directorate's investigation

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) pursued a Money Laundering investigation in connection with the TRP scam, following allegations initially raised in the police case. After scrutinising the claims, the ED concluded there was no evidence linking Republic TV or its Hindi counterpart, R Bharat, to the alleged manipulation of TRPs. This conclusion stemmed from the absence of both digital and testimonial evidence substantiating the allegations against the news network.
The ED criticised the forensic audit report relied upon by the Mumbai Police, describing it as "superficial" and lacking depth. The ED argued that the report failed to present substantive proof implicating Republic TV in the purported scheme. The ED disclosed that investigations into two other media outlets, News Nation and India Today, remain ongoing. The agency indicated that additional findings might surface as the inquiry continues to unfold.

#### Investigating officer Sachin Vaze's statement

In September 2021, Sachin Vaze, a Maharashtra police officer currently under arrest, informed the Enforcement Directorate that Anil Deshmukh, the former Maharashtra Home Minister and NCP leader, had politically instructed him to arrange for the arrest of Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami in the TRP rigging case.
Goswami denies the allegations and has accused the Mumbai Police of retaliating against the channel's recent criticism of their activities. On 21 October, Central Bureau of Investigation got involved in the investigation, with the case now potentially covering every news channel in India. On 13 December, Republic World CEO was arrested in Mumbai, before being granted bail.

### Ofcom censure

In December 2020, the channel was fined 20,000 pounds (approximately ₹21.07 lakh or USD$25,374) by the Office of Communications (Ofcom) for broadcasting content involving "offensive language", "hate speech" and "abusive or derogatory treatment of individuals, groups, religions or communities". It was also asked to air a public apology. Between 26 February and 9 April, the channel broadcast an apology in Hindi as well as English multiple times, throughout the day.