DC: Sab to overtake Zee and Colors

In an environment where channel ratings are going up and down on a weekly basis, SAB TV appears to be comfortably placed with around 12 per cent of the audience share. While most channels are striving for viewership through re-branding, innovations, expensive non-fiction programming, SAB is the only channel which is on a consistent growth trajectory with low-cost daily comedies.

To inch closer to Zee which is currently the number three channel, SAB has embarked on a twin-pronged approach by increasing its programming to four hours on weekdays, opening weekends with non-fiction content and ramping up its distribution. "It is just a matter of a few months to reach where Zee currently is," says SAB's business head Anooj Kapoor. According to Ramaswamy Ranganathan, group accounts director of media buying agency MediaCom, having placed a good foundation, jumping into the next league is a matter of 50-odd GRPs. "SAB has got its programming right. But since TV habits don't change overnight, I would give it a year to come closer to the top three channels," he adds. Media planners say that SAB is the only differentiated player while other GECs are doing more or less similar kind of fiction and non-fiction shows. "While soaps on GECs have alternatives, there is no substitute for comedy and hence SAB has no competitor," points out Anil Kumar, group accounts director, Starcom Mediavest.

However, on the downside, SAB is still stuck with only one driver show and a chunk of its ratings still come from Western India. While Tarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashma delivers 3-plus TVRs, other shows like Lapataganj, Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo and FIR manage just about 1 TVR. Anil admits that SAB needs to expand its audience beyond the Western market.