ARTICLE:Star gains, Zee share slips

NEW DELHI: KBC-3 may not have lived up to the rating standards set during AB's show, but here's one consolation for Star Plus. The channel has managed to take some wind out of its nearest competitor, Zee TV's sails in the prime-time channel share.

The current ratings have proved to be good enough for Star Plus to almost double its relative channel share from 37.7% to 56% in the HSM. While Zee TV slipped from 37.6% relative share to 21.5% relative channel share in the KBC week again in the HSM markets.

When contacted Star TV's president (ad sales) Paritosh Joshi said that the competition from Zee in the 9-10-pm slot has been put to rest with the TAM ratings coming through.

"Our channel share has gone up impressively and as far as the GRP's going down in comparison to the earlier editions of the KBC, its primarily because of the TAM peoplemeter having become wider and undergone changes along with the implementation of CAS in Mumbai and Delhi," he added.

Zee Network's senior vice-president Ashish Kaul admitted to the dip in TRP's for the 9 'o clock slot but added that the dent is only a temporary fluctuation.

"We have maintained our leadership in the 9-10 pm slot and one week's ratings don't say much. In fact, we expected the show to garner 25% more ratings," Kaul added.

So how is Zee combating this KBC-SRK competition? "We have no strategies as such because we are very well entrenched in this slot with new serials like Saath Phere and Kasamh Se which are poised to grow further," he said.

samidha.sharma@timesgroup.com