STAR vs Zee: The tussle for image leadership

The STAR Network is the clear winner, right? Zee is the former leader struggling to get its act together, right?

Wrong.

According to Cirrus, a service from agencyfaqs! that has been monitoring, since October 2001, how media perceives over 1,100 corporates in India, the race between the two is closer than is generally assumed.

While STAR is once more in the lead in terms of cumulative positive media coverage (from October 1 last year till now) based on an extremely powerful performance in April and May, Zee had been the leader in the two months before that.

Sony Entertainment began poorly, getting relatively little positive coverage between October last and January 2002, and was ranked No 5 or No 6 within the basket of TV companies during this while. It, however, made up in March and April, and now comfortably occupies third place within this industry.

In the Cirrus Image Index (that is, positive coverage less negative coverage), across all Indian industries, STAR ranked at No 13 while Zee was at No 21 as May turned into June. Sony Entertainment featured at No 53 while Turner International was at No 98. MTV and BBC World came close together at No 129 and No 131 respectively.

Though this is an extremely high profile business, the coverage in the media of most TV companies, barring the handful mentioned above, tends to be indifferent. To view the Cirrus Weekly 100, click here © 2002 agencyfaqs!