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Being second best isn't easy
While Zee emerges as the No.2 in the GEC segment, Sony, Star One and Sahara One have aggressive plans
It's as official as it gets. In the long running battle of TVRs (television ratings points), Zee TV has emerged as the number 2 channel with an average of 22% channel share (target group — CS 4 years +, i.e. cable satellite homes for more than 4 years; market -Hindi throughout the months of April and May according to figures made available by TAM.
With Star Plus clearly enjoying a 51% channel share, Zee TV emerges as a clear No.2 overtaking arch rival Sony. The battlelines which had been clearly drawn for the past few years, when Sony overtook Zee and turned No.2 seems to have come full circle. Sony had been banking on its reality shows, Indian Idol and Fame Gurukul taking it to newer heights, only this time around Zee seems to have surged ahead, thanks to a repackaged Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge, and two primetime soaps, Saat Phere —Saloni Ka Safar and Kasamh Se which have given Star Plus reason to worry and introduce a new soap, the ambitious Virasaat in the primetime slot.
Surprises never cease to happen: in the much coveted 9pm -10 pm prime time slot, Zee even challenged the market leader Star Plus (May 18-24). According to TAM, the top show on Zee during the period was Saat Phere which recorded its best ever 6.61 TVRs on May 25 with a reach of 11.28% and time spent/ viewer of 24 minutes. Saat Phere also got okay TVRs: on May 22 (4.7) and May 26 (4.68). In the 9 pm slot, Kasamh Se topped with 4.96 TVR on May 23, 4.68 on May 22, 4.27 on May 25 and 3.72 on May 26. Compare this with Star Plus' Kkavyanjali (9 pm) and Miilee (9:30 pm) to Zee: Miilee — 4.77 TVR on May 22, 4.17 on May 25 and 3.95 on May 24. Kkavyanjali - 5.61 TVR on May 22, 4.25 on May 25, 4.19 on May 24 and 4.12 on May 23. On Friday, May 23, Prithviraj Chauhan recorded 4.24 TVR in the 9:30 pm band.
"We still have a lot of ground to cover to before we can claim to be No.1 in the 9-10 pm time band. The challenge lies in sustaining and consolidating our position further," says Zee's senior VP (marketing) Tarun Mehra.
Star India senior creative director Shailja Kejriwal agrees: "Zee has two good shows in the 9pm-10 pm time band which are doing well. However, we are working on a strategy: this is a much contested slot and we are confident of winning it back."
Not that Sony is going to take it lying down. Deal Ya No Deal will go off air to be replaced by an ambitious show. Sony COO, NP Singh says, "We have major plans to revamp our programming."
Star One is also a serious contender: with a 6.1% channel share, better than Sahara One's 4.8% channel share in May, 2006. Sahara One CEO Purnendu Bose says, "In the next two months we will launch two new shows. For Sahara One it is important to be on the top of the viewer's mind."
Puneet Johar, senior VP marketing, Star India says: "The purpose is to create fresh programming to sustain viewers' interest.Today we have managed to cannibalise the shares of Zee and Sony."
All said and done, the battle for eyeballs has just started getting interesting : will Zee be able to move ahead in the race or will competition zoom forward. That's a story that will depend entirely on the hand that holds the remote control!
While Zee emerges as the No.2 in the GEC segment, Sony, Star One and Sahara One have aggressive plans
It's as official as it gets. In the long running battle of TVRs (television ratings points), Zee TV has emerged as the number 2 channel with an average of 22% channel share (target group — CS 4 years +, i.e. cable satellite homes for more than 4 years; market -Hindi throughout the months of April and May according to figures made available by TAM.
With Star Plus clearly enjoying a 51% channel share, Zee TV emerges as a clear No.2 overtaking arch rival Sony. The battlelines which had been clearly drawn for the past few years, when Sony overtook Zee and turned No.2 seems to have come full circle. Sony had been banking on its reality shows, Indian Idol and Fame Gurukul taking it to newer heights, only this time around Zee seems to have surged ahead, thanks to a repackaged Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge, and two primetime soaps, Saat Phere —Saloni Ka Safar and Kasamh Se which have given Star Plus reason to worry and introduce a new soap, the ambitious Virasaat in the primetime slot.
Surprises never cease to happen: in the much coveted 9pm -10 pm prime time slot, Zee even challenged the market leader Star Plus (May 18-24). According to TAM, the top show on Zee during the period was Saat Phere which recorded its best ever 6.61 TVRs on May 25 with a reach of 11.28% and time spent/ viewer of 24 minutes. Saat Phere also got okay TVRs: on May 22 (4.7) and May 26 (4.68). In the 9 pm slot, Kasamh Se topped with 4.96 TVR on May 23, 4.68 on May 22, 4.27 on May 25 and 3.72 on May 26. Compare this with Star Plus' Kkavyanjali (9 pm) and Miilee (9:30 pm) to Zee: Miilee — 4.77 TVR on May 22, 4.17 on May 25 and 3.95 on May 24. Kkavyanjali - 5.61 TVR on May 22, 4.25 on May 25, 4.19 on May 24 and 4.12 on May 23. On Friday, May 23, Prithviraj Chauhan recorded 4.24 TVR in the 9:30 pm band.
"We still have a lot of ground to cover to before we can claim to be No.1 in the 9-10 pm time band. The challenge lies in sustaining and consolidating our position further," says Zee's senior VP (marketing) Tarun Mehra.
Star India senior creative director Shailja Kejriwal agrees: "Zee has two good shows in the 9pm-10 pm time band which are doing well. However, we are working on a strategy: this is a much contested slot and we are confident of winning it back."
Not that Sony is going to take it lying down. Deal Ya No Deal will go off air to be replaced by an ambitious show. Sony COO, NP Singh says, "We have major plans to revamp our programming."
Star One is also a serious contender: with a 6.1% channel share, better than Sahara One's 4.8% channel share in May, 2006. Sahara One CEO Purnendu Bose says, "In the next two months we will launch two new shows. For Sahara One it is important to be on the top of the viewer's mind."
Puneet Johar, senior VP marketing, Star India says: "The purpose is to create fresh programming to sustain viewers' interest.Today we have managed to cannibalise the shares of Zee and Sony."
All said and done, the battle for eyeballs has just started getting interesting : will Zee be able to move ahead in the race or will competition zoom forward. That's a story that will depend entirely on the hand that holds the remote control!
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