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ABP News demonstrates stability and growth post re-launch
During Week 21, when ABP News was still STAR News, the channel's GRPs stood at 19.72 points (C&S 15+, HSM); after the re-launch in Week 22, the channel's GRPs moved up to 22.54 points in Week 23 and after a slip to 17.95 points in Week 24, it pulled itself up to 22.22 points in Week 25.
It's good 'news' for ABP News. Effective June 1, Media Content & Communication Services (MCCS) took off the STAR quotient from its Hindi television news channel, STAR News, and dressed it in a new identity, ABP News.
While speculations proposed that the transition could lead to a drop in viewership for the channel - at least during the initial 4-6 week period, it seems that the assumptions have finally turned null and void.
The transition from STAR News to ABP News took place in Week 22, on a Friday (a TAM week is always extended between a Sunday and a Saturday). The channel registered 18.11 GRP during the period May 27 (Sunday) till May 31 (Thursday). Once the new avatar was donned, ABP News' GRPs stood at 5.73 points till June 2, which was a Saturday when Week 22 came to a close. Therefore, the 5.73 GRPs equate to the viewership that the channel pulled on Friday (June 1) and Saturday (June 2).
During Week 23, the channel's GRPs stood at 22.54 points, evidently much above the numbers that it had scored prior to the re-launch. Additionally, while the ratings saw a slight dip in the following week (Week 24) to 17.95 points, it pulled itself up to 22.22 points in Week 25.
Not to forget, the channel's relative share remains stable even in its post launch phase. While during the month of May, when it was still SATR News, the channel's relative share was an approximate 15 per cent, its share currently stands at around 16 per cent for the week ended June 23.
The time spent on the channel has also increased from 3.56 minutes in Week 21 to 5.21 minutes in Week 25. Incidentally, the relative share of the Hindi news genre has also moved upward with STAR News' changed identity. If the genre's relative share stood at 2.61 per cent in Week 19, it moved up to 3 per cent in Week 22 (when SATR News became ABP News) and currently, the relative genre share stands at 3.03 per cent (TAM, C&S 4+, HSM).