Tag: ABP News

ABP news creates a new benchmark on the digital front

MUMBAI: In today’s digital world where businesses need to be agile and adaptive to an ever-changing media landscape, ABP News has been a constant innovator. On the counting day of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh elections, being a true leader, ABP News smashed all records and set an industry benchmark on digital front.

Reinforcing its digital supremacy, ABP News websites received record shattering 12 million visitors and 52 million page views on the counting day. ABP Live app also ruled the charts and was the most trending app on Google Playstore with 1.5 million active users.

Commenting on this incredible feat, Mr. Avinash Pandey, ABP News Network says- ‘Keeping up with changing consumer behavior, we have tried to make our product screen agnostic. We have exponentially increased our focus on Digital and Television which is validated by the game changing numbers that we’ve achieved. During the counting day , our website achieved 10 million + visitors, 43 million page views while our ABP Live app achieved a milestone of 1.5 million active users. With these record breaking numbers, we’ve successfully reset the benchmark in digital space. Time and again numbers have proved that in case of events of national importance whether elections, Ram rahim case,Mumbai floods etc ,ABP News is the go to news channel of viewers. This success is result of our adaptive business initiatives and extensive editorial coverage especially during Kaun Banega Mukhyamantri- which is the highest recalled election programme in the country. So when it comes to news and information that matters, ABP News and ABP News digital are the only destinations.”

ABP News recently joined hands with Hotstar, which is India’s largest premium streaming platform, to become the only Hindi news channel to be available there. It reaches out to nearly 100 million users every month. No other platform has this kind of reach in India. On counting day, there were an astounding 2 million+ viewers watching ABP News on Hotstar. Watch time went up by 18X compared to previous events, best cementing ABP News’s true dominance on the digital front.

December 26, 2017
Times Now appoints Sujeet Mishra as marketing head

MUMBAI: Times Network, part of India’s media conglomerate, The Times Group today announced the appointment of Sujeet Mishra as head of marketing, Times Now.

In his role, Sujeet will lead the brand’s strategic planning and communication including new brand initiatives, consumer research, market development across ATL (above-the-line), BTL (below-the-line) and digital platforms. Based in Mumbai, Sujeet will report to Times Network executive vice president Vivek Srivastava

Commenting on the appointment, Srivastava said, “I’m delighted to welcome Sujeet to the Times Now team. His vast knowledge and strong capabilities in brand building, marketing communication will add tremendous value to our ambitious growth strategy in the English news segment.”

Speaking on his new role, Mishra said, “I’m extremely excited to lead the marketing mandate for a brand that stands for credibility and accuracy in reportage, a reflection of true journalism. I look forward to channelising my best efforts and strengths into creating impactful marketing campaigns and sustaining the leadership position of Times Now.”

With over 13 years of experience in marketing and brand communications, Mishra joins Times Now after a successful stint at ABP News Network where he was overseeing four news brands, managed IP events and played a pivotal role in the brand transition of the channel from Star News to ABP News. He is an alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad’s marketing executive development program.

December 15, 2017
Hindi news channels alter programming for Gujarat elections

MUMBAI: With the Gujarat elections on the horizon, the central government has made several populist moves including the cut in GST on many products and services. Hindi news channels have rearranged their programming line-up for the upcoming assembly elections, which will be held in two phases—9 December and 14 December 2017.

The results will be announced on 18 December 2017. In the frenzy to cover this event, news channels are leaving no stone unturned to grab eyeballs.

iTV Network, one of India’s media houses, has expanded further into the regional news space with the launch of a dedicated channel for Gujarat called India News Gujarat on 4 December 2017 with six regional channels in its bouquet. Being launched ahead of the highly-anticipated Gujarat Elections, 2017, the Gujarat Debate will be a programme to watch out for.

iTV editor-in-chief Deepak Chaurasia told Indiantelevision.com, “We are covering the elections from different aspects of it like debate, day-to-day updates, rallies, special interviews with around 40 senior correspondents. The new shows are Kissa Kursi Ka, a live debate show and at 8 and 10 pm everyday we have a special bulletin on elections.”

ABP News has started Kaun Banega Mukhyamantri which will focus on the Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat elections from the audience’s perspective and a review of the political parties’ agenda. The show will be telecast twice a day at 5:30 pm and 6:30 pm. On 9 December 2017 the show will start from 6am and will go on till 2pm. In another show Poll Khol, the anchor will present the latest updates surrounding the upcoming elections in various regions of India. The show will run for 30 minutes from 7:30pm.

India TV’s flagship election mega conclave Chunav Manch in its second edition at Ahmedabad saw an enviable line-up of participants both from the ruling as well as the opposition benches.

In his welcome address, Rajat Sharma outlined the performance of the ruling regime, their pre-poll promises, people’s expectations, Prime Minister’s Modi’s undaunting image etc. He also highlighted the opposition’s charges ranging from rising unrest among the business class to unemployment issues to questioning the Gujarat model of development.

India TV Managing Director Ritu Dhawan said, “We are happy because of the huge success of the initiative. But what makes us happier is that we were able to generate top-notch participation and we had a full-house throughout the day. This is especially when we were aware that our competition has been struggling to get in and keeping the audiences at their respective venues.”

A few amongst those who participated in different sessions were, BJP President Amit Shah, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani, Gujarat Deputy CM Nitin Patel, BJP National Spokesman Sambit Patra, BJP MP Kirit Solanki, BJP Leader Jitu Vaghani, Ex Gujarat CM Shankersinh Vaghela, PAAS Leader Hardik Patel, Leader of Opposition in Gujarat Assembly, Arjun Modhwadia, Congress Leaders Sanjay Nirupam and Randeep Singh Surjewala.

Aaj Tak managing editor Supriya Prasad said, “For the elections, we are doing a debate show called Raj Tilak at 15 places. We have deputed around 24 reporters for the coverage of this elections.Gujarat ka Sardar Kaun is the show in which political experts discuss the Gujarat legislative assembly elections, and is aired everyday at4:30 pm.”

NDTV India is very innovatively used the show’s tagline as ‘Abki Baar Kiski Sarkar’ which sheds light on political parties and the candidates vying for the top posts in the current election.

December 7, 2017
Hindi News genre versus Indian English News during festival week

BENGALURU: Previously, we asked if the Indian English News genre was faced with festival blues – pre, during and post the biggest Indian festival season of Diwali that happened in week 42 of 2017 (Saturday, 14 October 2017 to Friday 20 October 2017). How did big brother – the Hindi News genre fare? According to Broadcast Audience Research Council of India’s (BARC) weekly data, combined weekly ratings of the top five Hindi News channels also declined, but not as much as the smaller siblings have.

The variation in the Hindi News genre’s combined weekly ratings of the top five channels from its average ratings (between weeks 19 to 43 of 2017 excluding week 21) during weeks 41, 42 and 43 were -6.4 percent, -10.2 percent and -10.9 percent respectively. At the same time the variations in the Indian English News genre’s combined weekly ratings of the top five channels from its average ratings during weeks 41, 42 and 43 were -29 percent, -26.2 percent and -25.2 percent respectively.

The slide of the combined weekly ratings of the top five Hindi News channels continued pre, during and post Diwali. Their combined weekly ratings declined from 440.188 impressions in week 41 of 2017 to 422.233 million weekly impressions in Diwali week 42 of 2017 and slid even further to 419.260 million weekly impressions in week 43 of 2017. In the case the Indian English News channels, combined ratings of the top 5 channels dropped in the week 41 to 1.986 million weekly impressions, then rose a bit during Diwali week to 2.050 million weekly impressions and then fell slightly again in week 43 to 2.026 million weekly impressions.

The viewership and ratings of Hindi News and the English News genres differ. The Hindi News genre had a relatively steady viewership during the first 43 weeks of 2017. Ratings across the top three Hindi channels have had narrower margins between each other as compared to the English genre which was dominated by just two channels. Three top Hindi News channels garnered about 65 percent (almost two thirds) of the genre’s ratings. These were Aaj Tak (A little above 25 percent of the genre’s average ratings in 2017); Zee News (A little more than 20 percent of the genre’s average ratings in 2017) and ABP News (A little more than 19 percent of the genre’s average ratings in 2017).

The two channels that dominated the Indian English News genre were Republic TV (almost 36 percent of the genre’s average ratings in 2017); and Times Now (almost 30 percent of the genre’s average ratings in 2017). The Arnab Goswami led Republic TV was launched on 6 May 2017 (beginning of week 19 of 2017). In week 21 of 2017 English News channels, with the support of the News Broadcasters Association, excluding Republic TV, had withdrawn from BARC ratings measurement in protest against what they claimed were unfair practices by Republic TV. Hence the numbers considered above for the Indian English News genre, Republic TV and Times Now are for the period between weeks 19 and 43, and excludes data for week 21 of 2017.

Notwithstanding a difference in the consumer data classification for ratings for the two genres, the Hindi News genre has had a much larger viewership than the Indian English News genre. Ratings considered in this paper for the Hindi News genre have been measured across HSM (U+R) : NCCS All : 15+ Individuals, while those of the Indian English News genre have been measured across All India (U+R): NCCS AB : Males 22+ Individuals. This means that the data for the Hindi News genres includes persons of all genders above 15 years of age, while in the case of the English News genre, the data only covers all males above 22 years of age. NCCS is the new consumer classification system adopted by the audience measurement body BARC. The average weekly combined ratings of the top five Hindi News channels between weeks 19 and 43 excluding week 21 of 2017 was 470.307 million impressions, while that of the Indian English News genre during weeks 19 to 43 excluding week 21 was 2.875 million impressions.

The Hindi News genre started with relatively higher ratings in week one of 2017 and dropped in weeks two and three before rising to the genre’s second highest ratings in week 11 of 2017.This was the week during which election results of five states in India were announced. On the other hand, BARC weekly data for the top five English News genre showed that the lowest combined ratings of the top five English News channels in 2017 until week 43 were in week two of 2017 (Saturday, 7 January 2017 to Friday 13 January 2017) at 1.179 million weekly impressions. Week one of 2017, with 1.218 million weekly impressions, had the second lowest ratings in 2017 until week 43.

The ratings of the Hindi News genre declined during the weeks that IPL 10 was played (week 14 to 20 of 2017) and fell further for another four weeks after IPL 10. The ratings of the Indian English News genre also started to decline in week 14 with the commencement of the IPL, but then rose sharply again with the launch of Republic TV in week 19. The combined weekly ratings of the top five English News channels in week 19 at 4.282 million were the second highest ratings scored by the genre during the first 43 week of 2017, with Republic TV garnering about half the ratings of the genre – 2.115 million weekly impressions in that week.

The combined ratings of the top five Hindi News channels in week 24 at 350.836 million weekly impressions were the genre’s lowest ratings in 2017 until the time of writing of this report, before rising again to the highest ratings of the genre in 2017 to date. This was in week 35 of 2017, the week that saw the court verdict and the resultant arrest of Indian godman Ram Rahim. News about the fate of Ram Rahim on Monday, 28 August 2017 was one of the most watched events on news television in the recent past in India. Viewership of the Hindi News genre grew 2.1 times from 121.5 million impressions (the average viewership for the previous four Mondays’) to 256.1 million impressions on Monday, 28 August 2017 according to BARC data.

On the other hand, viewership of the top five the English News channels actually shrank by 1.2 percent in week 35 to 2.942 million weekly impressions from 2.979 million weekly impressions in week 34 of 2017. It is probably the Ram Rahim verdict day news that helped English News channels retain their previous week’s ratings. The English News Genre grew by 46 percent from 482 thousand impressions (Av Impressions for the last 4 Mondays) to 703 thousand impressions on Monday 28 August 2017 according to BARC data.

Please refer to the two charts below for ratings of the Hindi News and the Indian English News channels during the first 42 weeks of 2017, albeit with an explanation before the second chart.

The Arnab Goswami led Republic TV is a major force to reckon with in the English News genre. Right from its launch, the channel has been garnering a huge chunk of the genres combined ratings. It has usurped the previous leader Times Now’s numero uno position in the English News genre from the very first week of its launch to date in 2017.

Republic TV’s average contribution to the combined ratings of the top five English News channels is about 36 percent – more than a third. In its launch week, the channel had contributed 49.44 percent to the combined ratings of the top five English News channels. Its lowest contribution to the genre’s ratings has been 30.56 percent in week 35 of 2017 (Saturday 26 August 2017 to Friday, 1 September 2017) – the channel had scored 0.899 million weekly impressions of the genre top five channels ratings combined total of 2.942 million weekly impressions. Hence the figure below shows two curved lines – one that includes the ratings of the top five English News channels including Republic TV and another that shows the combined ratings of the second, third, fourth and fifth ranked channels, or ratings without Republic TV ratings (w/o Republic TV).

November 8, 2017
Max2 creates campaign to rediscover your cherished bonds

MUMBAI: Sony Max 2 wants to break the clutter with its latest TV campaign titled ‘Kuch filmon ka jadu kabhi kam nahi hota’ (some movies never lose their magic touch). DDB Mudra is the agency that has lent its talent to three-year-old baby from Sony Pictures Network India.

The TVC focuses on the captivating richness and quality of Hindi movies that never fail to add meaning to our lives. The channel’s objective through this campaign is to continue its brand differentiation and to create a bigger impact to reach out to more viewers.

Sony Max and Max2 senior VP marketing and communications Vaishali Sharma says, “We have grown a lot in the last three years but wanted to continue brand differentiation. Reaching out to more viewers was another goal.” This was achieved by creating a campaign with tremendous recall value so that viewers can emotionally connect and recollect.

Mudra was tasked with being creative and yet stick to the channel positioning. Sharma says that all previous campaigns have also stayed true to the brand essence of being an evergreen cinema channel. “We show cinema which is gratifying and will compel you to return. Max2 helps you relive special moments. The brief given to DDB Mudra was that there are some bonds you cherish in life and Max2 helps rediscover them,” she adds.

Within 3 months, the duo explored several stories and facets and finally hit the bull’s eye. The TVC will be promoted via the movie cluster and other channels like India TV, ABP News, Hindi channels, regional Marathi channels and Gujarati channels among others. Sharma claims that the channel has been a leader for 26 out of 30 weeks from this financial year.

Through the year, the channel conducts on-ground activities in different states in which it engages with families and help them express through their cinemas. This apart, Sony Max 2 is digitally active as well and has held two seasons of timeless digital awards.

The channel does a thorough analysis of an area before it considers investing there through marketing. “We look at the growth potential in a particular market and how we can increase our footprint. Depending on areas where we can expand our reach, we undertake marketing activities,” she says.

Campaigns and advertisements like these are the channel’s way to stay relevant in the minds of the public. This is why ads need to be memorable, distinct and relatable to viewers. Will Max2’s magic be as charming as its campaign claims its movies to be?

November 7, 2017
10 FreeDish slots may fall vacant by Oct-end as renewals hang fire

MUMBAI: The ministry of information and broadcasting has reportedly asked Doordarshan to suspend until further notice e-auctioning of slots, which were picked up by private broadcasters on its free-to-air direct-to-home (DTH) platform FreeDish.

FreeDish, at present, carries 80 TV channels, including Sony Pal, Star Utsav, Zee Anmol, Rishtey and news channels like AajTak, Zee News, ABP News, News 24 etc. FreeDish has two vacant slots but the number could go up to 10 by October-end if no decision is taken by MIB, the Tribune reported.

The slots are getting vacant and private broadcasters have been unable to renew those. Prasar Bharati has reportedly been refusing renewal since August.

The e-auction had taken place in July, in which FreeDish had earned Rs 851 million as 11 private broadcasters bagged. Another auction planned for August was cancelled by the broadcaster, citing “administrative reasons” as per the notice dated 18 August, 2017. Doordarshan, for the year 2016-17, earned more than 30 per cent of its revenue from FreeDish at Rs 2641 million — its highest-ever, Mint reported.

Private broadcasters, reports said, paying an average of around Rs 60-80 million per annum to FreeDish were getting advertising revenue in the range of Rs 5–7 billion per channel owing to the high reach obtained via DD-Direct while Doordarshan was losing millions.

FreeDish, it is estimated, increased its reach to around 25 million households which is faster than the average growth of the DTH industry in the last few years.

The top rated 15 channels on FreeDish had ratings which ranged from 50-80 and almost all of them were private TV channels. DD channels got ratings of zero to three, meaning those were going unwatched.

ALSO READ :

Prasar launches music auditions online application, FreeDish slot auction suspended

Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati on SC verdict, pushing DD Sports and DTT

FreeDish a key driver in FTA channels’ growth by ’20

Doordarshan puts off 37th FreeDish auction

October 11, 2017
Kapil Dev on ABP News: How Indian cricket team can become number one across all formats

MUMBAI: Legendary all-rounder and 1983 World Cup captain Kapil Dev, in an exclusive chat with ABP News, spoke on how the present Indian cricket team can become number one across all formats and shared his thoughts on Virat Kohli, his captaincy and MS Dhoni. Kapil Dev will share his cricketing insights regularly on ABP News on every match day starting with the T20 series against Australia beginning tomorrow.

The first episode with Kapil will be telecast on ABP News on Friday, 9 pm.

In an exclusive chat with ABP News, Kapil praised skipper Virat Kohli for setting new benchmarks in international cricket and says his decisions have changed the face of world cricket. “Virat has a got a new fuel to fire this Indian team to the top. And that fuel is fitness. He has taken fitness levels to a different level and his strictness for fitness, for himself and for ever member to get into the team, means he has given a new definition term and is forcing world over to change perception about fitness in cricket.

Kapil says: “Cricket is always considered a skill-based game but let me tell you that skills can only be used well if you have the fitness. Every captain comes in with his own thought and what he requires from his players. Virat has made it clear what he requires from his team. He wants the fittest players, and let me tell you that is how cricket will be played in future. Virat is changing the face of how cricket will be played in years to come. You need to be fit to dominate In the last 50 years, fitness of player was in doubt, but now Virat has changed it all. He has made it clear that if you are not fit you cannot play for the country. Yuvraj and Raina can still big sixes but if they are not fit as per the standards which this Indian team demands, Virat has made it clear even big players are not assured of a spot. The challenge is now for Yuvraj and Raina to come up to the standards which the team demands from them.”

In football, every player does not score a goal but you need several people to take the ball near the goal. Similarly in cricket every player cannot get a 100 but the 40s and 50s are equally important. In this team, we have a player who can set up a match well and also win matches single-handedly. If you ask me who is the backbone of this team, I will not say it is the captain but for me the Backbone of this team is MS Dhoni. The kind of experience which he has is phenomenal. Anybody can have a say on how he used to play and how he is playing now and that he has changed his game but for any player who has played 300 ODIs and has an average of 50 we do not even have the right to talk about him. If your team is number 1, it is because you have a player like Dhoni in the team.

The former Indian skipper felt that this Indian team has the potential to become No.1 across all three formats. Kapil feels it is ready to dominate the cricketing world, and isn’t No.1 just like that.“If we look at our team and compare it with other teams in the world, then i can say with assurance that this team has an X factor. That this team has all ingredients to become the world no.1 team. There is no doubt in my mind with regards to that…because for the first time we have seen that the Indian team may not have the so-called big name players lime Sachin, sourav, Laxman, Sehwag… still this team is winning. To become a big player like them you need to give them time… and I can say that they will all be big names in some years..some of them already are. In the recent series we saw first-choice players like Rahul or Shikhar or any fast bowler or spinner, even when they are not in the eleven, the reserves come in and they win you matches. That means Indian team doesn’t just have 12-15 players but 20-25 players who are all good and ready to win you games in any format. And that is the big positive,” says Kapil.

October 6, 2017
ABP News to telecast unique series on Gandhiji ideals and thoughts

MUMBAI: It was 148 years ago that Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on the 2nd of October – ‘The Father of the Nation’ to whom we largely owe our independence. But ‘Bapu’, as we all fondly call him, and his legacy, was not just about the Indian freedom struggle. He had also espoused ideals and practices which ranged from, and impacted various other aspects of our social life. But do we as Indians even remember any of those ideals which were so very close to Gandhiji’s heart?

This Gandhi Jayanti, ABP News takes a look at these very ideals of Gandhiji and how they have fared over the years – in its all new and unique series, ‘Gandhigiri’.

‘Gandhigiri’ will revisit some of Gandhiji’s thoughts on things which he wanted to change in India. Thoughts & ideals he staunchly believed in, espoused and practiced himself and how they have progressed and developed over the years and where we stand today as a society with respect to these ideals.

Gandhiji spoke openly about Cleanliness, Cow Protection, Communal & Caste Violence. Have we progressed since then? Are we following what Gandhiji taught us? We will be covering these four topics in detail.

So tune in to ABP News from October 1st onwards, every Sunday at 9.30 pm and discover how the ideals of the ‘Father of the Nation’ have withstood the test of time and circumstances – with ABP News’ ‘Gandhigiri.’

September 29, 2017

Indiantelevision.com’s VR news journalism workshop gives fresh insights

MUMBAI: “Immersive Journalism.” “The Use of VR in News Journalism”

Indian broadcast news journalists have heard these terms being used either online or in conversations. But, apart from NDTV, Republic and Times Network, not many of them have explored the innovation that is currentl engaging TV news viewers worldwide.

To fill this gap, indiantelevision.com organised a half-day workshop in Noida’s Radisson Blu MBT Hotel on 26 September.

In the house were a select group of tech professionals from news organisations such as NDTV, ABP News, India Today and News18 Television. The workshop was presented by VR expert, the Dubai-based Clyde Desouza.

Indiantelevision.com founder, CEO and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari stated at the start of the workshop that VR journalism is not just in an experimental stage currently, it is a reality amongst many broadcasters worldwide. The reason for this is the falling prices of 360 VR cameras and VR headsets.

Clyde Desouza gives his take

I’ve just completed a whirlwind initiative to bring awareness of Immersive Journalism to media organisations in India, thanks to the support and thrust provided by IndianTelevision.com.

What started out as a series of discussions with the founder of IndianTelevision.com, Anil Wanvari, culminated in an exclusive, invite-only seminar on the future of factual storytelling – Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality Journalism at the Radisson Hotel, Noida, India.

The top news and media organisations are headquartered in Noida, and CxO-level professionals from these organisations attended along with news editors and graphics teams to look into the future of news reporting and what I’d like to term as “Experiential Journalism.”

The audience was informed and engaged. I won’t hesitate to say I’ve learned equally as much from the questions posed, as from the non-linear discussions that ensued well past the two-hour time allotted for the workshop.

It was encouraging to see attendance from such prestigious organisations as E&Y, alongside respected NEWS and media organizations such as NDTV, ABP, and Network 18 in India.

The seminar started with an overview of what Immersive Journalism is, with due credit given to the such luminaries as Noni De La Peña, but also the current state of the art in Virtual Reality news reporting and looking forward to Mixed Reality storytelling.

As a tech / creative evangelist for VR, I was happy and impressed with the questions asked, and was genuinely excited to field queries ranging from Photogrammetry offer ideas on how CG “assets” could be created, and a library built for rapid Immersive Journalism pieces, with existing television CG packages and solutions such as VizRT and Wasp3D.

There is certainly an appetite among the media and NEWS organisations in India, to take reporting beyond what’s possible on linear TV.

While I’m currently bringing one of India’s leading news channels up to speed in VR, it was heartening to see almost all other major and emerging media organisations, aware that in order to build loyalty to their channel and brand, they need to engage their audiences on a level that goes beyond sensationalism and traditional news reporting.

Twitter @cly3d

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clydesouza

www.realvision.ae/blog

Many of the broadcasters are foraying into it because they want to get brand innovation credibility, apart from attaining a sense of future preparedness. Wanvari added that currently most of the players are actually producing a lot of 360 videos, rather than fully immersive ones.

The early adopters apart, most news broadcasters are treading cautiously because the monetisation models have yet to be developed, and though prices have been heading southwards, the cost of VR gear – both at the producer end and at the consumer – still make it an elitist hobby, said Wanvari.

He added that around three million headsets have been sold internationally.

He urged the Indian news industry to get together under the NBA umbrella to work cohesively with tech partners, and platforms to increase awareness amongst its members as well as to negotiate on both production equipment and content standards.

Desouza, on his part, began by explaining to the audiences what VR really seeks to achieve.

“VR is not VR for VR’s sake,” he said. “It’s the experience that your brain feels.”

He explained the difference between VR and AR. “AR is when digital assets are added into the real world,” he said. “VR is when it’s entirely virtual and digital.”

Desouza pointed out that care should be taken while filming 360-degree videos. “You have to keep the viewer in mind. You can’t pan and swish and zoom in like you would do with a normal camera. These kinds of motions give the VR viewer a headache.”

He pointed out that many organisations are investing hundreds of thousands of dollars and producing videos that don’t really work as VR or immersive journalism.

“The VR video has to draw the viewer into understanding that it is his point of view which he is experiencing,” he said.

Desouza added that news brands internationally are using — and can use — VR to galvanise the audience into action.

“For instance, a feature on haemophiliacs can be told from a victim’s point of view and the viewer should be able to feel and experience what the haemophiliac is feeling and going through and how we need to deal with them,” he explained.

His view is that Indian news organisations would do well to keep aside budgets of about US$ 100,000 to start up their VR departments as well as a room with young, trained journalists so that costs can be kept under control.

His talk was illustrated with the best and the worst examples of VR and immersive journalism videos from global studios.

Desouza is currently consulting a leading Indian English news broadcaster to help steer it into VR journalism, and is in talks with a couple of others for the same.

To read Clyde Desouza’s perspective on the workshop, click here.

September 27, 2017

Republic TV, Aaj Tak continue to lead genres as news viewership falls

BENGALURU: Republic TV recorded its lowest viewership since its launch in week 36 of 2017 (Saturday, 2 September 2017 to Friday, 8 September 2017). The channel garnered 854,000 weekly impressions, lower than the earlier low of 868,000 weekly impressions it had scored in weeks 25 and 27 of 2017 according to Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) weekly list of top 5 English News channels All India (U+R): NCCS AB: Males 22+ Individuals. The channel has started with a bang in week 19 with 2.117 million weekly impressions. At present, ignoring ratings for week 21, Republic TV’s average weekly ratings since launch until week 36 of 2017 (except for week 21) are 1.141 million weekly impressions, hence its week 36 ratings are well below its par ratings.

In the Hindi News genre, the genre leader for 35 of the 36 weeks of 2017 has been Aaj Tak. The only week that it lost the pole position was in week 6 of 2017 to India TV. Aaj Tak was ranked second in that week. For week 36 of 2017, Aaj Tak scored 137.519 million weekly impressions according to BARC list of top 5 Hindi News channels: HSM (U+R) : NCCS All : 15+ Individuals. The channel’s average weekly impressions in 2017 until week 36 are 122.870 million, hence its week 36 weekly impressions score is well above its par.

In week 36, the combined weekly impressions of the top 5 English News gene channels were 2.760 million, lower than the 2.942 million weekly impressions of the previous week or the 2.979 million weekly impressions of week 34. The average combined weekly impressions of the top 5 English News channels in 2017 until week 36 (except week 21) were 2.460 million, and week 36 impressions for the genre are well above the 36 week par. The genre’s highest combined weekly impression of the top 5 channels at 4.897 million impressions were in week 11 – the week during which election results for five states were announced. The second highest ratings by the top 5 English News channels were 4.282 million impressions in week 19, the week that Republic TV was launched.

In the case of Hindi News channels, the genre had scored its highest weekly impressions in week 35, with the top 5 channels having combined weekly impressions of 738.482 million. This was the week that saw the reportage of the Ram-Rahim case judgment day – Monday, 28 August 2017 attracting record-breaking viewership. Week 36 has seen the top 5 channels combined weekly impressions plunge to 564.769 million weekly impressions, but still well above the 36 week average of 492.903 million.

Please refer to the figure below for average ratings of the top five English News channels during the first 36 weeks of 2017 (excluding data for week 21 of 2017):

Please refer to the figure below for the average ratings of the top 5 channels of the Hindi News Genre during the first 36 weeks of 2017.

As mentioned by us earlier, News about the fate of godman Ram Rahim on Monday, 28 August 2017 was one of the most watched events on news television in the recent past in India. Viewership of the Hindi News genre grew 2.1 times from 121.5 million impressions (the average viewership for the previous four Mondays’) to 256.1 million impressions on Monday, 28 August 2017. The English News genre grew by 46 percent from 482 Impressions ‘000s (Av Impressions for the last 4 Mondays) to 703 Impressions ‘000s on Monday 28 August 2017.

September 18, 2017