N. Shatrujeet
Media

News channel viewership fragments with growing competition

In the crucial target group of men, 25 years and above, SEC ABC, C&S, Hindi speaking markets, NDTV India is a notch higher than arch rival STAR News

After weeks of seeing a plateau in its performance, NDTV India, the Hindi channel from the NDTV stable, has in TAM week 48 (that is, November 23-29, 2003) stolen a march over arch rival STAR News in the crucial target group of men, 25 years and above, SEC ABC, C&S, Hindi speaking markets. The channel has gained a marginal lead of 0.5 per cent in terms of channel share, standing at 17 per cent to STAR News' 16.5 per cent. However, in the base population of C&S 4-plus, Hindi speaking markets, both NDTV India and STAR News are tied at 16 per cent. (Source: TAM Media Research)

ZEE News, Sahara Samay, news channel leader Aaj Tak have recorded lower channel shares in week 48, owing to the unexpectedly improved performance of new entrant DD News, which stands at 17.4 per cent in the target group of men, 25 years and above, SEC ABC, C&S, Hindi speaking markets. Channel shares of the first three (Aaj Tak, ZEE News and Sahara Samay) in the same target group are as follows: Aaj Tak - 28.5 per cent, ZEE News - 12.6 per cent, and Sahara Samay - 8 per cent.

In the base population of C&S 4-plus, Hindi speaking markets, Aaj Tak, ZEE News, Sahara Samay and DD News are placed at 30.2 per cent, 11.6 per cent, 8.1 per cent and 18.1 per cent respectively.

At a broader level, the crumbling of the cookie actually takes place from week 45, precisely, when DD News goes on air. In that week, that is, November 2-8, 2003, in both the target groups of C&S 4-plus, and 25-plus men (in Hindi speaking markets), DD News opens its account at the expense of the other players.

The scorecard is as follows: Aaj Tak - 31.1 per cent, STAR News - 18.3 per cent, ZEE News - 15.9 per cent, DD News - 13.9 per cent, NDTV India - 13.7 per cent and Sahara Samay - 7.2 per cent. (Base population: C&S 4-plus, Hindi speaking markets.)

In the target group of males, 25 years and above, SEC ABC, C&S, Hindi speaking markets, DD News stands at 10.6 per cent, Aaj Tak, 31.8 per cent, STAR News, 19.2 per cent, ZEE News, 16.2 per cent, NDTV India, 14.6 per cent and Sahara Samay at 7.7 per cent.

When compared with week 44, that is, October 26-November 1, 2003, the drop in channel shares in week 45 can be gauged easily. In that week, in the base population of C&S 4-plus, Hindi speaking markets, Aaj Tak stood at 36.8 per cent, STAR News at 20.3 per cent, ZEE News at 18 per cent, Sahara Samay at 7.7 per cent and NDTV at 17.2 per cent.

In the crucial target group of men, 25-years and above, SEC ABC, C&S, Hindi speaking markets, Aaj Tak was at 36.7 per cent, STAR News at 20.3 per cent, ZEE News at 18.6 per cent, Sahara Samay at 8 per cent and NDTV India at 16.4 per cent.

As fragmentation becomes the order of the day, the competition in the news channel genre is likely to intensify. © 2003 agencyfaqs!

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