Vijay TV is No 2 in Tamil Nadu; but Jaya TV is at its heels

While Sun TV continues to rule the Tamil Nadu airwaves, other stars are becoming visible on the horizon now. Leading the challengers is STAR group channel Vijay TV, which has ensconced itself firmly in the No 2 slot in the state.

"Let's get a couple of things clear. We are not even thinking of the No1 slot right now. But yes, we want to be a decent second player in the market. But even that will take time. And our progress has to be seen in the context of what we've set out to achieve," says adman-turned-media-honcho Ajay Vidyasagar, general manager, regional channels, STAR India.

Right from the time it shot into limelight on being acquired by STAR, Vijay TV has been constantly working at its programming strategy and a media blitzkrieg to support its offerings. The result: It finally assumed the coveted No 2 slot after Sun TV in the Top 100 programming list in June this year. While it is trying desperately to hang on to its new position, the going may prove to be increasingly difficult.

To begin with the No. 2 slot itself is a slippery wicket. While June (week 23 as per TAM rating) saw Vijay climb the pile with 28 programmes in the Top 100 list, the glory was short lived. July (week 29) showed a reversal of roles when Jaya TV wrested the slot with 21 programmes. Vijay had 19 in the Top 100 list. By the last week of July (week 30), Vijay managed to fight back to its position with 23 programmes, when Jaya had only 18. As things stand now, Sun has 43 programmes on the Top 100 list, followed by Vijay with 24, KTV 15, Jaya 10 and Raj 8.

The question is, is this a flash in the pan or can Vijay sustain its lead over Jaya TV and go for the giant kill? Interestingly, even until June, Sun hogged the limelight with all the slots right till the 45th place in the Top 100 list. Its KTV, supposed to be a flanker, was in the fourth slot. Together, they occupied more than 50 per cent of the Top 100 listing. Now Sun has been leashed at the 29th slot, with Vijay making its first appearance at No 30.

Again, Vijay seems to be the favourite among women viewers in the afternoon slot. TAM's cumulative channel share analysis report for July (that is, week 27 to 31) for the 12.00 noon to 2.00 pm time slot throws up some interesting findings. Here, among the SEC A, B and C women in the 15-plus age group, Vijay TV has shown a steady climb. Beginning with a share of 3.8 per cent, it grew week by week to end the month at 10.9 per cent. All the other channels, barring Sun and KTV, have remained below the 5 per cent mark in July.

During prime time (between 7.30 pm and 11.00 pm) also Vijay has grown steadily. While KTV had a share of 13.3 per cent in end June (week 27), among women in the 15-plus age segment, it declined to 11.3 per cent by end July (week 31). During the same period, Vijay moved up from 6.5 per cent (week 27) to 12.2 per cent (week 31). Admits K Balaswaminathan, general manager, marketing, Jaya TV, "Sun has always been extremely consistent and delivered popular serials. For whatever reasons, other channels simply did not get their act together. But all that is beginning to change now."

On its part, Vijay TV is trying to formulate its programming mix with an eye to the viewership pattern in the state. It is essentially working on encouraging ‘appointment viewing', so that it is able to focus its attention on pulling in a loyal audience base and then allow word-of-mouth to spread the message to a bigger crowd. It claims that it has made significant in-roads in the SEC A and B segments. Among its eyeball pullers are programmes like Kavyanjali, which gets an average TVR of over 9. In the morning, its Mudal Vannakam or the breakfast show has a share of over 20 per cent, and its kids band (between 6.30 pm and 7.00 pm) with programmes like Jee Boom Ba has notched up a share of 19 per cent.

Sundays, however, have proved to be a humbling experience for Vijay with most of its new shows failing to take off. The channels is working on awakening a potential audience in the post noon slot with the high profile launch of Payanam (12.00-12.30 pm) and Kathai alla Nijam (12.30 pm-1.00 pm).

The team at Jaya TV, meanwhile, is not sitting idle. "We are aiming for the No 1 slot in this market. From being absolutely nowhere, we have climbed up to challenge Vijay and we will soon overtake the others," says Balaswaminathan. Jaya has managed to pull viewers with some good programmes no doubt. For instance, the soap Anny has consistently made it to the Top 100 list. Its humour-based Vettu ka Veedu Lotti and Ari Giri Assembly have notched up around 1.9 TVR points. Jaya's agenda includes winding up of the game show Kotiswari anchored by actor Khushboo, launching new shows by actor Revathy, Visu and Khushboo, and roping in established producers such as K Balachandar.

But media planners do not see any dramatic shifts happening in the short term. But yes, as P Subramaniyam, vice-president, Optimum Media Solutions, puts it, "Worry spots are being created for Sun at certain time bands. There are some small distractions for viewers already and it remains to be seen how the players continue to build on their respective strengths." © 2002 agencyfaqs!