Channels in Ratings. Article

By NASRIN SULTANA
Indiantelevision.com Team

(12 April 2008 8:10 pm)

MUMBAI: Zee TV's hopes of overhauling Star Plus in the Hindi GEC space have received a major setback with the long-time leader picking up the pace over the last few weeks.

The latest Tam ratings data (week ended 5 April, CS 4+, all day, HSM) show Star Plus at 361 GRPs, well ahead of Zee TV, which is at 232 GRPs.

This is a huge gain by Star Plus, particularly if you take into account the fact that in the week ended 16 February, Zee TV had narrowed the gap to as little as 4 GRPS (Star Plus 291, Zee TV 287).

Zee TV could not hold on to the momentum it had built up though and in the weeks that followed, Star Plus steadily built up its lead. Even with the grand finale of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li'l Champs (on 1 March) fetching 6.73 TRPs, it was not enough for Zee TV to bridge the widening gap.

Star Plus GM Keertan Adyanthaya says, "With a firm line-up in the prime-time and afternoon and strong schedule we have garnered great GRPs. Besides our old shows, over the weeks, even our newly launched shows have shown good TRPs."

What is interesting to note is that the widening of the gap has come about despite Zee TV's Banoo Main Teri Dulhann, Saat Phere and Lakshmi Ghar Ki Betiyaan giving more than a run for the money to soap factory Balaji's long running K- serials.

And the reason for this is the fact that Zee TV's new talent hunt show Rock n Roll Family, which replaced Li'l Champs in the weekends, has not been able achieve the kind of traction that the channel was hoping for. Average ratings of around 4 TRPs has proved a dampener for Zee TV.

And what of Star Plus? Are the low TRPs of the Balaji shows sending out alarm signals? "Absolutely not," says Adyanthaya. "Fiction shows have high and low points; Star is not unduly worried about it at all," he asserts.

Having said that, Star Plus recently got back Smriti Irani in its flagship show Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi as a TRP boosting exercise.

It is also launching its big ticket show Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? on 25 April to be hosted by Shah Rukh Khan. Scheduled on weekdays, the show is doling out Rs 50 million as prize money.

Sony edges ahead of NDTV Imagine for 3rd spot

Much further down the road in the Hindi GEC space, meanwhile, Sony Entertainment Television (Set) and NDTV Imagine have been battling it out for the third spot.

In the week ended 5 April, Set with 88 GRPs is just ahead of NDTV Imagine, which has pocketed 82 GRPs. On the back of reality shows, events (Filmfare awards) and a blockbuster film (Chak De India) Set managed to up its GRP to 110 in the week ended 1 March but in the subsequent week it slipped again.

According to an industry observer, "Set is in the middle of transition and revamp. After losing the foothold with reality and music shows, Set is trying to get back its health with fiction based shows."

"Set experimented far too much. It has not been telling stories for which it lost connect with the audience," says the observer.

Set is currently consolidating its fiction based shows. From 14 April, it is launching a women centric daily soap Sujata followed by Waqt… Set will be synergising Indian Premier League (IPL) matches on its sister channel Max to promote its shows.

Besides, it has also roped in Salman Khan to host a reality show based on the international show Power of 10 to be launched soon after the IPL tournament.

A quick look at the lastest GEC space scorecard: Indrani and Peter Mukerjea's 9X stands next to NDTV Imagine with 72 GRPs, Sahara One 70, Star One 66, Star Utsav 40, Sab 32 and Zee Next 9.