Battle for the 9.30-pm slot hots up

The 9.00-pm slot has traditionally been the most crucial for mass channels till Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki on STAR Plus pushed the battle into late night prime time, altering the rules of the game along the way. Appointment viewing at 10.00 pm and 10.30 pm drove the success ratio of these shows with the two becoming a permanent fixture on the ratings charts.

Not that the 9.00-pm slot was left in the lurch. The eponymous KBC was the torchbearer for STAR Plus during this crucial time frame. Indeed, it was the driver that turned the channel's fortunes, to be eventually replaced with one-hour weeklies to consolidate its position.

For ZEE and Sony, the 9.00-pm slot has driver shows Astitva and Kkusum (respectively) - the two half-hour daily dramas that have been waging their own turf battles to try and win audiences over - the former with a more realistic portrayal of a woman dumped by her husband and the latter with the life of a middle-class Maharashtrian girl in true Balaji spirit.

With the bulk of the action on mass television centered at the 9.00-pm slot, the next half hour, namely, the 9.30-pm slot seemed to be sidelined despite attempts by Sony to revive it with Balaji's Kutumb and Kahani Terrii Merrii earlier this year. ZEE has Miit directed by Anurag Basu while STAR Plus has the popular game show Khulja Sim Sim at 9.30 pm on Fridays, which, incidentally, will move to the 10.00-pm slot on Saturdays beginning October 11 when the channel switches to fictional programming on weekends. Khulja Sim Sim will be replaced with a new show titled Jeet, but, apart from this, the leader in Hindi general entertainment has no other show telecast at 9.30 pm.

Sensing an opportunity to take on the leader, ZEE, Sony and Sahara have over the last few months launched key programmes during the 9.30 pm slot. To begin with, Sahara launched its driver show Karishma - The Miracles of Destiny at 9.30 pm in May. Post the litigation, Karishma continues to feature at the same time slot. Sony followed with Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin, the Hindi adaptation of the Hispanic show Yo Soy Betty La Fea, while the channel's nearest competitor ZEE is set to launch Aroona Irani's Tum Bin Jaoon Kahan at 9.30 pm on October 12.

With a head-on collision in the making, the importance of this day part cannot be underestimated. For week 37 of 2003, that is, September 7 to 13, STAR Plus enjoyed a channel share of 36.78 per cent between 9.30 pm and 10.00 pm, while at 10.30 pm its channel share jumped to 48.64 per cent. Overall, the channel share of STAR Plus during the week was 26.73 per cent. (Source: TAM Media Research; base population: C&S 4 plus, Hindi speaking markets.)

Despite a strong channel share during the 9.30-pm slot, it is still not the strongest for STAR Plus. No wonder the other contenders are pitching for this slot aggressively. It makes sense too since peak viewership for entertainment shows happens between 9.30 pm and 10.30 pm, as Sai Nagesh, director, marketing and corporate affairs, WPP Marketing Communications explains.

Says Nagesh, "Traditionally, the 9.00-pm slot has been a time for news when people tune in to watch the day's headlines and developments and have their dinner. From 9.30 pm, viewers are ready to watch entertainment programmes. Considering that STAR Plus is the leader 10.00 pm onwards during weekdays as well as during the 8.30-pm slot with Kasautii, it makes sense to counter STAR after 9.00 pm and before 10.00 pm."

Says Srikanth Raman, media director, Starcom, "Though a fight is on for specific day parts, it is really content that counts. Sony's track record with big launches isn't very good. But Jassi seems to have clicked with the audiences. It depends on how they capitalise on it. If your show has a lot of razzmatazz, and there is much riding on it, I think, it would make sense to launch the show during a conventional time slot."

Apurva Purohit, president, ZEE TV, however, would like to consider the spate of high-profile launches during the 9.30 pm slot as a mere coincidence. "For us, every slot between 8.00 pm to 11.00 pm, which we deem as prime time, is important. Mass entertainment as a genre has the potential to grow and we would like to be equally focused on each and every slot."

Even as rivals slug it out to get a foothold during prime time, STAR Plus has attempted to extend late night viewership by launching youth show Kahiin To Hoga at 11.00 pm and pushing its thriller show Kahin Kissi Roz to the 11.30 pm slot. According to Tarun Katial, senior vice-president, content and communication, STAR India, this was done in accordance with a strategy. "There is enough young people at 11.00 pm," he says.

All said, there is no denying that the prime-time slot has been effectively extended by the numero uno channel with this addition to its FPC or fixed point chart. "Stretching prime time is the only way forward in terms of growth," says Katial, which is seconded by media planners and observers alike.

"It's a win-win situation for STAR," says Nagesh. "In terms of total cumulative viewership in the country, TVRs will not go beyond 35 to 40 at any given point of time. So there is no way the channel can increase viewership. The next best thing for it is to increase the bandwidth of programming because it can sell more seconds as well as compel viewers to stay on with the channel for a longer period of time." © 2003 agencyfaqs!