A committee constituted to review the Television Rating Point (TRP) system has recommended increasing the sample size from the present 8,000 homes to 30,000 in both rural and urban areas.The committee, which submitted its report to Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni today, has taken a serious view of the small sample size used by the two existing rating agencies in India.It observed that rural areas have been left out from the current system of TRP measurement. The Committee has recommended an increase in the sample size from 8,000 homes to 15,000 urban and rural households, over a period of two years and then to 30,000 over the next three years covering urban areas, rural areas and small towns besides Jammu and Kashmir and North East to provide a complete geographical coverage of the country. After receiving the report, Ms Soni said, this is a matter of great importance and the ministry will examine it in great detail.Amit Mitra, FICCI Secretary General, who headed the committee after submitting the report said rural Households are not covered at all. Aiming to make the Broadcast Audience Research Corporation (BARC) more inclusive, the committee recommended broadening the constitution of the board to make it more inclusive. The committee has recommended the company structure of BARC should have representation from broadcasters, advertisers, and advertising agencies including Public Service Broadcasters.It has recommended constitution of a high-powered committee within BARC to guide BARC in the area of research, design and analysis.Expressing concern over the lack of transparency in the methodology of conducting the TRP measurement, the committee said selection process of rating agency should be carried out in a credible, transparent and statistically robust manner.Mr. Mitra said the recommendations of the high-powered committee would be binding on the BARC.AIR correspondent reports the committee was constituted to review the Television Rating Point (TRP) system in India and study the feasibility of setting up an alternative mechanism through legislation in May last year.