MAX climbs up in TAM Top 100

The World Cup has done it for MAX. The mega event has ensured 21 spots for the movies and events channel in the TAM Top 100 for the week of February 9-15, underscoring an important point - cricket does drive viewership. As Atul Phadnis, director, S-Group, TAM Media Research, says, "Viewing behaviour especially cricket viewing patterns change with the World Cup. Light TV viewers become heavy watchers during the World Cup."

This viewership pattern has guaranteed that the crucial India-Australia league match telecast on February 15 appears at No 3 with a TVR score of 10.1 while the India-Holland one dayer telecast on February 12 comes in at No 8 with a score of 9.1. The same match featuring India and Holland makes an appearance at No 11 with a score of 8.5. The former was during the period when India was batting and the latter when minnows Holland were at the crease.

The South Africa-West Indies, Pakistan-Australia and India-Australia league matches figure at 14 (South Africa-West Indies), 21, 24 (ranks 21 and 24 pertain to the Pakistan-Australia league match) and 27 (India-Australia) with TVR scores of 7.3, 6.0 (Pakistan batting), 5.7 (Australia batting) and 5.0.

Extraa Innings, the wrap-up programme on MAX, appears eight times on the list with the show garnering maximum points on February 15 with a score of 4.8 and a rank of No 30.

Despite the spurt in viewership for MAX due to cricket, general entertainment channel STAR Plus has managed to retain its No 1 position with a total of 51 shows. Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi tops the list with a score of 10.5 (episode telecast on February 13) followed by the February 12 episodes of Kahaani and Kyunki with 10.2 and 10.0 respectively.

Interestingly, both K shows complete the Top 10 line-up for STAR with Kyunki appearing at Nos 5 and 10 and Kahaani at Nos 6, 7 and 9. Corresponding figures are: 9.9, 9.8, 9.7, 9.06 and 9.03 respectively.

Sony has four shows in the Top 100 with the February 14 episode of Heena leading the pack with TVR of 3.1 (No 72) followed by the February 13 episode of Kkusum with 2.8 (No 80) and February 14 episodes of CID and Devi with 2.7 (No 88) and 2.5 (No 96) respectively.

ZEE is conspicuous by its absence in the list while sister channels SUN and Gemini do a STAR and Sony with a total of 23 shows for the former and a solitary presence for the latter. The top grosser for SUN is the February 13 and 10 episodes of Tamil serial Annamalai with 3.6 (No 43) and 3.5 (No 44) followed by the February 13 episode of Metty Oli (a daily soap telecast at 7.30 pm) at No 46 with TVR of 3.5.

In all, Annamalai and Metty Oli occupy the first seven slots for SUN much like Kyunki and Kahaani in the case of STAR, while Gemini has Telugu feature film Maavidamidavottu Mi at No 63 with TVR of 3.1 to its credit. © 2003 agencyfaqs!