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Following the strike and the blackout, GECs are working hard to win back their share of viewership
Following the lull that resulted from the producers-workers’ stand-off, which led to a blackout of fresh content, general entertainment channels (GECs) have launched new shows and are expected to launch more in the coming weeks.
All the GECs had to put their new programming lineups on hold, courtesy the strike. Now, the last two weeks have seen new launches in the genre. Colors has four new shows in its programming basket – two fiction shows and two reality shows.
On December 1, Colors launched Uttaran (a story about an underprivileged child and her dreams) and Jaane Kya Baat Hui (a drama about a married woman who takes a lover), to replace Bigg Boss, which ended on a high note on November 22 during the strike.
“We wanted to launch these shows in phases, but because of the strike, we had to hold them back,” says Ashwini Yardi, programming head, Colors.
With repeats taken off the air and new episodes and new programming initiatives, the broadcasters hope to regain their lost viewership.
Sudha Natrajan, chief operating officer and joint president, Lintas Media Group, believes that loyal viewers will return to their favourite shows and the older shows will get better stickiness for the channels. “It will be at least two or more weeks before the GECs can reclaim their share of the viewership,” she says.