Tag: CID

Jasbir Singh zooms up the ranks at Zee News as chief manager

MUMBAI: Jasbir Singh has stepped into a new avatar at Zee Media Corporation Ltd, now donning the hat of chief manager at Zee News. A familiar face in the corridors since 2017—when he joined as senior manager—Singh’s elevation marks a steady rise fuelled by grit, grind, and serious sales chops.

Before his Zee innings, Singh racked up impressive mileage across India’s top media houses—stints at India Today as deputy manager – corporate sales, Jagran Prakashan, and Infomedia18 (Network18) as senior executive saw him build a well-rounded armoury in corporate sales and business strategy.

An MBA in marketing and sales from the Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology – SMU, Singh blends street-smart execution with boardroom savvy. As the media landscape grows fiercer and faster, Zee News now has a seasoned player steering the charge from the frontlines.

July 21, 2025
Old Hindi TV shows make a comeback to light up primetime again

MUMBAI: Ready for a trip down Tele‑vision Lane? Indian TV networks are reaching for the rewind button, dusting off iconic serials from the 90s and 2000s and re-hashing them with a modern twist. From crime procedurals to kitchen politics, old favourites are back to reclaim viewer loyalty, and early signs suggest it’s working. From Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and CID to Bade Achhe Lagte Hain, broadcasters are betting big on nostalgia to revive TRPs. These revamped shows began dropping between December 2024 and July 2025 CID 2 returned last December, Bade Achhe Lagte Hain 4 launched in June, and Kyunki 2 is all set to make its grand comeback come 29 July.

Why the flashback fix? For starters, the 25–45 age group grew up with these shows, making them more than just content, they’re memories. Channels are cashing in on this emotional bond to draw back viewers amid the OTT onslaught. Legacy titles offer not just a TRP rescue but a cost-efficient revival strategy complete with ready sets, familiar faces, and low marketing spends. As a source at Star India put it, it’s a smart way to “mitigate screen fragmentation.” Plus, the pandemic proved nostalgia’s power when Ramayan and Mahabharat re-aired, they smashed viewership ratings records, outpacing even fresh content.

Ormax Media head of business development for streaming, TV & brands Keerat Grewal said: “Over the past three to four years, shows with strong protagonists such as Anupamaa, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, Ghum Hai Kisi Ke Pyaar Mein, and Kumkum Bhagya, have managed to sustain high viewership even across multiple leaps. This has been largely driven by the strong emotional equity their lead characters hold. The shows have skillfully introduced a new generation of characters who inherit familiar personality traits while addressing more contemporary issues, allowing the audience to feel a sense of continuity and evolution.

“The growing preference for shows with known characters and familiar storylines is not just a trend – it’s deeply rooted in how the human brain works. Neuroscience research shows that nostalgia and familiarity activate the brain’s reward centers, triggering comfort, trust, and emotional safety. Audiences are neurologically wired to return to content that evokes positive memories or past emotional resonance. That’s precisely what the return of a show like Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi will tap into.”

Based on Ormax’s extensive tracking in the HGEC category, we know that the Kyunki brand still holds strong equity among viewers today. This is reflected in the exceptional performance of the show’s new promo on our proprietary awareness tracker Ormax Showbuzz. Within just two days of the promo’s release, the show has recorded unaided awareness levels typically seen only after three to four weeks of sustained marketing in this genre. The data underscores the power of nostalgia, combined with trusted storytelling and iconic characters, to drive early interest and engagement.

Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi (2000–2008) is set to return with Smriti Irani reprising her iconic role of Tulsi on Star Plus. CID (1998–2018) made its way back in December 2024 with most of the original cast. Bade Achhe Lagte Hain 4 debuted in June 2025, introducing a next-gen romance against a familiar emotional backdrop. Also making a play for comeback glory: Shaktimaan, slated for an audio reboot and a blockbuster film starring Allu Arjun; Aahat, the spooky staple now re-airing nightly; and evergreen titles like Khichdi, Office Office, Shrimaan Shrimati and Ramayan, all back on air or rumoured to be.

A JioStar spokesperson said, “Bringing back a show like Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi is not just hinged on nostalgia, it is a strategic storytelling move designed for today’s viewers. At Star Plus, we see legacy IPs as powerful cultural assets that can be reimagined to reflect today’s evolving values. By blending familiarity with freshness, we aim to bring together households, unite generations, spark new conversations and reaffirm the enduring relevance of stories rooted in family, identity, and resilience.”

A source at Balaji Telefilms revealed that the decision to bring back Kyunki wasn’t an easy one. The creator Ekta Kapoor initially resisted, reportedly saying, “You can’t compete with nostalgia. Why shake it up?”

One of the reasons she said yes, sources close to her say, is the creative challenge to make it connect with today’s evolved audience and make an impact by tackling issues which don’t find their way into the current roster of shows on air. (On a lighter note, it will give Balaji Telefilms an opportunity to take the show past a record-breaking 2,000 episodes; remember, it was taken abruptly off-air in its 1,833rd episode).

The clincher for the channel and OTT was not just ratings, it was legacy. Internal research commissioned had once shown that Kyunki helped amplify women’s voices in Indian homes. It tackled domestic abuse, ageism, and marital consent long before these were TV buzzwords.

The reboot, sources said, is less about chasing numbers and more about “reclaiming the power to reach millions and change mindsets.”

Sources familiar with the strategy at Star noted that Kyunki’s return serves both sentiment and business. “Broadcast reach is still far greater than OTT,” one executive explained. “Advertisers too have bought into the show because of its familiarity, going by the sponsors who have been tied up: Procter & Gamble (a classic soap advertiser), Colgate and Fortune Oil.”

They added that older viewers with their own families who first watched shows such as Kyunki as youngsters or young adults or are now settled, have disposable income, and more free time. “This group is now reachable again especially in slots like 10:30 pm,” said she.

With Kyunki, CID and Bade Achhe Lagte Hain leading the charge, the revival roster is far from done. Insiders suggest shows like Naagin, FIR, and Shrimaan Shrimati could be next in line. Meanwhile, connected TVs and Fast (free ad-supported streaming TV) channels are helping extend the reach of these classics into smaller towns and rural households, where smart TVs and budget broadband are becoming the norm.

Indian TV isn’t stuck in a time loop, it’s cleverly remixing the past. This wave of strategic nostalgia blends cultural memory with broadcast savvy, reminding us that some stories never really go out of style. In fact, they just get retold with better twists, lighting, cast and production values.

July 14, 2025
CID goes to toon town: Sony YAY! brings teenage sleuths to the small screen

MUMBAI: Move over Inspector Pradyuman, there’s a new investigative squad in town – and they’ve barely finished their homework in their high school notebooks! Sony Yay! is set to unleash its animated blockbuster CID Squad on 17 March, giving India’s beloved crime franchise a cheeky teenage makeover.

In a plot twist that would make even Dr Salunkhe raise an eyebrow, the series transforms our favourite sleuths into a band of tech-savvy teenagers. Gone are the days of Daya, darwaza todo! – this new Daya is more likely to break firewalls than doors, reimagined as a gutsy young coder with a knack for digital detective work.

The fresh-faced crew includes 16-year-old Abhijeet, whose sharp memory would put a supercomputer to shame, and young Fredricks bringing the laughs while keeping the team’s spirits high. Meanwhile, Inspector Pradyuman, now a sprightly 25-year-old, leads this band of teenage crime-fighters with the same signature style – just with fewer grey hairs.

“This isn’t your grandmother’s CID,” quips Sony’s kids and animation business head. Ambesh Tiwari. “We’re targeting the first Cartoon Network generation who’ve grown up to be parents. They get animation, and they’re ready for something revolutionary.”

The series, produced by Toonz Animation with a dash of European flair from Ireland’s Telegael studio and music composers Gigi Meroni and Saveiro Rapezzi, promises to tackle thoroughly modern mysteries.

Forget about missing jewels – these young detectives are cracking cases involving self-driving cars and artificial intelligence, with a helping hand from Dr Salunkhe, now re-imagined as a mechanical wizard running a scrap shop.

With 26 episodes in the bag, each running 22 minutes, the show will hit the screen in six Indian languages – Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Bangla, and Marathi.

“Think of it as ‘Sherlock Holmes meets Teen Titans’, but with a distinctly desi flavour,” Tiwari says with a grin, adding that the audience for the show is going to cross national boundaries and go way beyond India.

“The intent is to create a global property which will be syndicated across the world, with India being a sizable market. It may even be acquired by a major OTT platform where primarily adults will watch it. CID is a massive IP, and we want to take it forward in a new format.”

He reveals that CID Squad is only the first step that Sony is taking in its animation journey in India; the idea is to create many more properties once it turns out to be hit that it is expected to become.

“Look at Pixar – its IPs like Toy Story have thrived for decades. Animation requires one major global hit, and it can generate revenue for 20 to 30 years. CID Squad is our first step towards creating such properties. The investment in this project is substantial, but we expect to recover it soon,” he elucidates.

Sponsors have already hitched on the CID Squad van and are taking a ride with inspector Pradyuman’s investigating crew: Quickheal and PediaSure are a couple of the brand names that have popped up on the promo as co-powered by partners.

And if you’re still wondering whether this new squad can fill the original team’s shoes, Sony Yay! is quite sure they can and is betting big on it. After all, when you’ve got teenage detectives, cutting-edge tech, and a dash of nostalgia, who needs a broken door?

March 12, 2025
Sony’s New Strategic Vision: Inside CEO Gaurav Banerjee’s Transformation Plan

MUMBAI: Six months into his tenure as CEO of Sony Pictures Networks India, Gaurav Banerjee (GB as he is called internally and by those who know him) is orchestrating a remarkable turnaround of the media giant’s Indian operations. In a detailed conversation with CNBC-TV18, GB outlined his vision for revitalising Sony’s presence in both traditional television and digital streaming.

Under Banerjee’s leadership, Sony Entertainment Television (SET) has witnessed a dramatic 70 per cent surge in ratings, climbing from the early 50s to the late 80s. This transformation has been driven by strategic content decisions, most notably the revival of the iconic crime drama CID, which achieved the channel’s strongest fiction launch in seven years.

“Our flagship channel had not been doing well,” GB acknowledged. “Some of that identity had got diluted”.
His response was decisive: streamline programming to reinforce Sony’s distinctive identity whilst reinvigorating successful formats. The strategy has paid dividends, with Indian Idol recording a 30 per cent increase in ratings compared to its previous season.

“Programs like Shark Tank in its latest season were tweaked and put on the streamer only and it has notched up a jump in viewership and viewers.

Contrary to industry pessimism about traditional television, GB remains bullish on linear TV’s prospects in India. “There is no evidence of TV’s decline. In fact, there is substantial evidence that TV is set to grow in our country”, he asserts, pointing to India’s massive television audience of 700 million viewers. This optimism is reinforced by continued support from major advertisers like Hindustan Unilever, who recognise television’s unique brand-building capabilities.

For Sony as a group, GB has implemented a four-pillar strategy encompassing sports, television content, original productions, and regional expansion. The company has secured rights to premium sporting events, including three Grand Slam tennis tournaments and 35 days of top-tier cricket coverage. Original content continues to be a priority, building on the success of acclaimed series like Scam and Rocket Boys.

Addressing the aftermath of the failed Zee merger, GB maintains a forward-looking stance. “The Sony group is a big believer in the potential of India”, he states, emphasising the company’s commitment to the market. On the competitive landscape of cricket rights, he advocated a measured approach: “We need to have an eye on profitability… Having two different revenue streams is very important Hence, SonyLiv will not be free.”

GB who previously held senior positions at Disney Star, brings a clear vision for Sony’s future: “We’re not here to count subscribers; we’re here to build a product.”

This philosophy underpins his approach to both traditional and digital platforms, focusing on premium content creation and sustainable growth.

GB refused to be drawn into any conversation about reviving discussions with Zeel about any merger possibilities in the light of the emergence of the JioStar megabeast.

“I think me and my team have a job on our hands and we are focused on that. What ever had to be said about it, has been, before I entered this building,” he reparteed when pushed. ”I want us to build a great portfolio of amazing content and that’s what all of us in this building are focused on now. We have got great brands in-house and we have to grow them in Hindi and in other Indian languages. We have to grow them on television, we have to grow them on digital.”

Looking ahead, Sony’s strategy under GB appears focused on leveraging its strong heritage while embracing digital innovation. With significant improvements already visible in his first six months, the CEO’s vision for Sony India combines strategic content development with pragmatic business decisions, positioning the company for sustained growth in India’s evolving media landscape.

“Entertainment isn’t just relaxation-it shapes society”, GB reflects, highlighting the broader significance of his role in steering one of India’s major media enterprises.

As Sony continues its transformation, the early results suggest that Banerjee’s strategic repositioning is successfully reconnecting the brand with Indian audiences across both traditional and digital platforms. Viewers will agree he is the best man to remind India why it fell in love with Sony in the first place.

If the past six months are anything to go by, Gaurav Banerjee and his team are just about getting started.

February 22, 2025
Zomato-Sony partner for CID for content integration through a co-branded promo

MUMBAI: In another clever marketing ploy, Zomato and Culver Max Entertainment have
partnered each other to give their respective brands -CID and Zomato – a bit of a nudge into consumers minds. In an interesting and entertaining attempt at content integration, the duo has released a video that is grabbing eyeballs and generating conversations – basically buzz online.

It begins with a Zomato partner calling up ACP Pradyuman (Shivaji Satam) and informing him that he found the CID office door broken when he had come to make a delivery – a perfect set up for a CID investigation.

On arriving at his office, the ACP is informed of the break in and the missing door and he concludes in his typical style that “daal mein kuchch Kaala hain (There’s something funny about this.” )

To which the delivery boy responds “Nahin, Sir. Daal Tadka ka order hain.”

CID’s investigation and forensics team discovers in a funny round about way that the burglar wears size 12 footwear. ACP Pradyuman immediately orders Daya (Daynanad Shetty) to question the neighurhood shoe sellers to find out who in recent times has purchased a size 12 shoe.

But Daya is not available so his replacement does the questioning of shoe shop owners and comes back to inform ACP Pradyuman that his deputy was the only recent buyer of the footwear.

The assistant commissioner then questions Daya who is eating his favourite bhel about his act and his response is that inspector Abhijeet (Aditya Srivastava) had talked about having an open-door policy which is why he broke the door.

To which ACP Pradyuman responds: “We had talked about an open-door policy and not a broken door policy. Ab tumhe bhel bi nahing milegi, bail bhi nahin, sirf jail. (Now you will not get the snack, nor bail, only jail) to Daya’s astonishment.

The video then cuts to the dates and times when Sony is airing CIID.

(To watch the video on I nstagram click here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DD13n12T4jl/)

Does the video work for both brands equally?

The jury is out on this one. Some believe that the promotional message is probably more skewed towards CID, while others point out that it’s okay if the talent was provided and production was done by Sony.

“Zomato’s short form videos normally highlight the partner’s ability and back stories. Either they are informative or they bring forth a chuckle. Followers are familiar with their style of presentation; so let’s not make a hue and cry about this,” says a marketing consultant. “In my opinion the setting works for both. I see a lot of clever marketing and content integration coming out of Sony now that they have a leader who is creative on top.”

December 27, 2024
Colgate MaxFresh ad blunders brought to light by CID’s comedic investigation

Mumbai: In an unexpected turn of events, Colgate MaxFresh, for its recent ad campaign- “Neend Bhagao Taazgi Jagao,” has found itself in a light-hearted predicament. Despite its commitment to minimizing morning mishaps, the brand inadvertently stumbled into a playful controversy with surprising blunders within its own advertisement. This amusing twist caught the attention of none other than the legendary ACP Pradyuman and his esteemed CID team, renowned for their astute investigative skills and penchant for solving mysteries.

As they delve into the curious case of the Colgate MaxFresh ad, a unique collaboration unfolds between toothpaste and detectives, promising a journey filled with laughter, intrigue, and unexpected discoveries.

The revelation of these goofs came to light months after the ad’s initial airing, thanks to none other than the legendary ACP Pradyuman and his esteemed CID team. Their sharp observations and diligent investigation uncovered subtle yet amusing errors that had previously gone unnoticed by the masses. The ad portrays a groggy doctor’s humorous morning mishaps, symbolized by a bed attached to his back, until he uses Colgate MaxFresh with cooling crystals to awaken fully and start his day goof-up free.

In an effort to engage the audience and transform this inadvertent misstep into a delightful opportunity, Colgate MaxFresh, in collaboration with ACP Pradyuman and his team, invites consumers to participate in the investigation. The call to action extends to all, urging individuals to join the hunt for additional goofs and stand a chance to win exciting gift hampers as a token of appreciation for their vigilance.

With the collective efforts of curious netizens and seasoned detectives, the quest to uncover every hidden goof-up becomes not only a mission but a shared experience of camaraderie and fun.

April 8, 2024
Star Sports 1 Hindi back in lead as Zee Telugu enters across genres list

BENGALURU: IPL 11 broadcasting Hindi Sports channel Star Sports 1 Hindi regained apex position in Broadcast Audience Research Council’s (BARC) weekly list of top 10 channels across genre NCCS all India (U+R): 2+ individuals in week 19: Saturday, 5 May 2018 to Friday, 11 May 2018. Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited flagship Telugu GEC Zee Telugu replaced Star Maa, Star India’s flagship Telugu GEC, but at a lower rank, in the across genre list. Except for reshuffling of a couple of ranks, the rest of the nine channels in BARC’s across genres list in week 19 were same as in week 18 of 2018.

Like last week, six Hindi GECs and one channel each from the Hindi movies, sports (Hindi), Tamil GEC and Telugu GEC genres made up BARC’s list of top 10 television channels across genres in terms of weekly impressions. Three channels each from Star India and Zeel, two channels from Sony Pictures Network India (SPN) and one channel each from the Sun TV Network and Vaicom18 comprised BARC’s weekly across genres list in week 19 of 2018.

Star Sports 1 Hindi, one of the 10 Star India channels that are currently airing the 11th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 11), clawed back to the first rank in the across genre list with 898.849 million weekly impressions in week 19 as compared to 916.811 million weekly impressions in the previous week. Star Sports 1 Hindi was also the most watched sports channel in BARC’s list of top five sports channels, and the IPL 11 match between Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders was the most watched sports programme based on average rating across all airings (original and repeat) in week 19 of 2018.

The Sun Network’s flagship Tamil GEC moved down a rank to second place in week 19 with 889.593 million weekly impressions as compared to 928.628 million weekly impressions in week 18 of 2018. As has been the norm, Sun TV topped BARC’s list of top five Tamil channels in the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry markets and all the top five Tamil programmes during primetime in these markets were aired on Sun TV in week 19.

Retaining its previous week’s third rank was Zeel’s free to air (FTA) Hindi GEC Zee Anmol with higher ratings of 859.428 million weekly impressions in week 19 of 2018 as compared to 771.851 million weekly impressions in week 18. Zee Anmol also topped BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GECs in the Hindi-speaking urban and rural – HSM (U+R) as well as in HSM (R). Two of its programmes – the Balaji Telefilms produced-Kumkum Bhagya, and another soap Mahek, were in BARC’s were list of top five Hindi GEC programmes during primetime in HSM (U+R) and three of its programmes – Kumkum Bhagya, Mahek, and Ganga, were present in BARC’s HSM (R) list.

Viacom18’s FTA Hindi GEC Rishtey also retained its previous week’s fourth rank with slightly higher ratings of 664.616 million weekly impressions in week 19 as compared to 646.522 million weekly impressions. Rishtey was also ranked second in BARC’s list of top 10 Hindi GECs’ in HSM (U+R) and HSM (R).

SPN’s women-focused FTA Hindi GEC Sony Pal climbed up one position to fifth rank with 658.188 million weekly impressions in week 19 of 2018 as compared to 599.556 million weekly impressions in week 18. Sony Pal was ranked third in BARC’s list of top 10 Hindi GECs’ in HSM (U+R) and HSM (R). Taarak Mehta ka Ooltah Chashmah and CID that aired on Sony Pal were among the five most-watched Hindi GEC programmes during primetime in HSM (R).

Star India’s FTA Hindi GEC Star Bharat slipped one place to sixth rank in week 19 of 2018 with 584.369 million weekly impressions as compared to 610.161 million weekly impressions in week 18. Star Bharat was ranked fourth in BARC’s list of top 10 Hindi GECs’ in HSM (U+R), HSM (U) and HSM (R).

Also retaining its week 18 rank to seventh in week 19 of 2018 was Zeel’s flagship Hindi GEC Zee TV. Zee TV scored 546.466 million weekly impressions in week 19 as compared to 577.078 million weekly impressions in week 18 of 2018. Zee TV was ranked fifth and first in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GECs’ in HSM (U+R) and HSM (U) respectively. Three programme – Kumkum Bhagya and its spinoff Kundali Bhagya and Ishq Subhan Allah that aired on Zee TV were among the five most watched Hindi GEC programmes during primetime in HSM (U+R) and HSM (U) in week 19.

SPN’s Hindi movies channel Sony Max also retained its week 18 rank of eighth in week 19 of 2018. Sony Max garnered 529.920 million weekly impressions in week 19 as compared to 519.913 million weekly impressions in week 18 of 2018. Sony Max topped BARC’s list of top five Hindi movies channels in HSM (U+R) and HSM (U) and was ranked fifth in HSM (R). Three Hindi movie programmes were among the top five most watched films during primetime in HSM (U+R) and HSM (U) in week 19 of 2018.

Another Star India FTA, Star Utsav, climbed up to ninth rank in week 19 of 2018 with 481.990million weekly impressions as compared to 467.263 million weekly impressions in week 18. Star Utsav was ranked sixth in BARC’s list of top 10 Hindi GECs’ in HSM (U+R) and HSM (U) and was ranked fourth in HSM (R).

Zeel Telugu re-entered BARC’s across genres list in week 19 of 2018 at tenth rank with 471.310 million weekly impressions. Zee Telugu also topped BARC’s list of top five Telugu channels in the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana markets.

May 18, 2018
Sun TV once again leads across genres during IPL week

BENGALURU: The Sun TV Network’s leading Tamil GEC Sun TV was ranked first in Broadcast Audience Research Council’s (BARC) weekly list of top 10 channels across genres – All India (U+R) : 2+ Individuals in week 18 of 2018 (Saturday, 28 April 2018 to Friday, 4 May 2018), the fourth week since the commencement of cricket world’s largest local cricket league – IPL 11. In the previous week, it was one of the 10 Star India channels, Star Sports 1 Hindi, which had taken the pole position in BARC’s across genres weekly list.

Six Hindi GECs and one channel each from the sports, Tamil GEC, Telugu GEC and Hindi movies genres made up BARC’s weekly list of top 10 channels across genres. From the network’s perspective, four Star India channels, two channels each from Sony Pictures Network India (SPN) and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) and one channel each from the Sun Network Ltd and Viacom18 that made up the across genres list. Except for the shuffle between the first two ranks, ranks three to seven of the next five channels in week 18 of 2018 were same as the ranks in week 17.

Sun TV gained viewership and genre leadership in week 18 of 2018 to top BARC’s across genres weekly list with 928.268 million weekly impressions as compared to 890.534 million weekly impressions in week 17. Sun TV topped BARC’s weekly list of top five Tamil channels in the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry markets, and all the top five Tamil programmes during primetime in these markets featured on Sun TV.

At second place was Star Sports 1 Hindi which moved down a rank in week 18 with 916.811 million weekly impressions as compared to 985.930 million weekly impressions in week 17 of 2018. The channel topped BARC’s list of top five sports channels in week 18 of 2018 and all the top five sports programmes during primetime were aired on Star Sports 1 Hindi. The most-watched IPL 11 match during the primetime during the week was the T20 match between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians.

Maintaining its third rank was Zeel’s free-to-air (FTA) Hindi GEC Zee Anmol with 771.851 million weekly impressions in week 18 as compared to 774.763 million weekly impressions in the previous week. Zee Anmol topped BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GEC channels in the Hindi speaking urban and rural markets HSM (U+R) and HSM (R) for week 18 of 2018. The Balaji Telefilms-produced Kumkum Bhagya aired on Zee Anmol was the most watched Hindi GEC programme during primetime in BARC’s weekly list of top five Hindi GEC programmes in HSM (U+R) and HSM (R). Two other programmes that were aired on Zee Anmol – Mahek and Ganga were the fourth and fifth most watched Hindi GEC programmes during primetime in HSM (R).

At rank four in week 18 of 2018 was Viacom18’s FTA Hindi GEC Rishtey with 646.522 million weekly impressions as compared to 677.772 million weekly impressions in week 17. Rishtey was ranked second in BARC’s list of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R) and HSM (R).

At rank five in BARC’s across genres weekly list was Star India’s FTA Hindi GEC Star Bharat with 610.161 million weekly impressions in week 18 as compared to 644.618 million weekly impressions in week 17 of 2018. Star Bharat was ranked third in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GEC channels in HSM (U+R) and HSM (U) and was ranked fifth in HSM (R).

SPN’s women-focused Hindi GEC Sony Pal was ranked sixth in week 18 of 2018 with 599.556 million weekly impressions as compared to 610.822 million weekly impressions in week 17. Sony Pal was ranked fourth in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GEC channels in HSM (U+R) and third in HSM (R). The crime show CID was ranked fifth in BARC’s weekly list of topfive Hindi GEC programmes during primetime in week 18 of 2018 in HSM (U+R) and ranked second in HSM (R). Another programme, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, which aired on Sony Pal was ranked third in BARC’s weekly list of top five Hindi GEC programmes during primetime in HSM (R).

Zeel’s flagship Hindi GEC Zee TV was ranked seventh in week 18 of 2018 with 577.078 million weekly impressions as compared to 609.069 million weekly impressions in week 17. Zee TV was ranked in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R); ranked sixth in HSM (R) and was ranked first in HSM (U). The spinoff of Kumkum Bhagya, Kundali Bhagya that aired on Zee TV was ranked second, Kumkum Bhagya on Zee TV and Ishq Subhan Allah were ranked second, third and fourth respectively in BARC’s list of top five Hindi GEC programmes during primetime in HSM (U+R). These three programmes were ranked first, second and third respectively in BARC’s list of top five Hindi GEC programmes during primetime in HSM (U).

SPN’s Hindi movies channel Sony Max climbed up a rank to eighth place in week 18 with 519.939 million weekly impressions as compared to 519.052 million weekly impressions in week 17 of 2018. The channel was at the top of BARC’s lists of top five Hindi movies channels in HSM (U+R) and HSM (U). The channel was ranked fifth in HSM (R). Hindi feature film (HFF) Sarrainodu that aired on the channel was ranked second in BARC’s list of top five Hindi movies programmes in HSM (U+R); was first in HSM (U), besides which, HFF 3 Idoits which also aired on the channel was ranked fifth in HSM (U).

Star India’s Telugu GEC Star Maa re-entered BARC’s across genre list at rank nine in week 18 of 2018 with 484.643 million weekly impressions. The channel also topped BARC’s weekly list of top five Telugu channels in the Andhra Pradesh/Telangana markets, and four of its programmes were led BARC’s weekly list of top five programmes during primetime in these markets.

Another Star India FTA Hindi GEC Star Utsav dropped two places from eighth rank in week 17 of 2018 to tenth rank in week 18. Star Utsav garnered 467.263 million weekly impressions in week 18 as compared to 522.110 million weekly impressions in week 17 of 2018.

May 12, 2018
Viacom18 channels re-enter across genres list as Sun TV strengthens lead

BENGALURU: Two Viacom18 returned to Broadcast Audience Research Council’s (BARC) weekly list of top 10 television channels across genres in week 16 of 2018 (Saturday, 14 April 2018 to Friday, 20 April 2018). The channels were Viacom18’s flagship Hindi GEC Colors and free-to-air (FTA) Hindi GEC Rishtey. Colors and Rishtey pushed out two Hindi movies channels from the across genres weekly list. In the meantime, the Sun TV Network’s flagship Tamil GEC Sun TV increased its viewership by 10.3 per cent and continued to lead the across genres list in week 16 as compared to week 15 of 2018.

Seven Hindi GECs and one channel each from the sports, Tamil GEC and Telugu GEC made up BARC’s weekly list of top 10 television channels across genres during the week under review. From the networks’ perspective, four channels from the Star India Network, two channels each from Viacom18 and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) and one channel each from the Sony Pictures Network India (SPN) and the Sun TV network comprised BARC’s weekly list of top 10 channels across genres. There was no Hindi movies channel in the list. The combined ratings of top 10 channels across genres increased 2.5 per cent in week 16 of 2018 to 6,667.922 million impressions from 6,506.140 million impressions.

As mentioned above Sun TV led BARC’s weekly top 10 channels across genres list in week 16 of 2018 with 1,032.408 million weekly impressions as compared to 935.993 million weekly impressions in the previous week. The channel also topped BARC’s list of top five Tamil channels in the Tamil Nadu/Pudducherry markets and all the top five Tamil programmes during primetime in these markets were aired on Sun TV.

Holding onto its previous week’s second rank was Star India’s Hindi sports channel – Star Sports 1 Hindi, which saw a 1.4 per cent increase in ratings in week 16 of 2018 with 949.082 million weekly impressions as compared to 935.856 million weekly impressions. The channel also topped BARC’s weekly list of top sports channels and all the top five sports programmes during primetime in week 16 of 2018 were aired on Star Sports 1 Hindi.

Retaining its third rank of week 15 was Zeel’s FTA Hindi GEC Zee Anmol with a 5.7 per cent increase in ratings in week 16 of 2018. The channel scored 717.079 million weekly impressions in week 16 of 2018 as compared to 678.472 million weekly impressions in week 15. The channel also topped BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GEC channels in both urban and rural Hindi speaking markets combined (HSM-U+R) as well as HSM (R) and was ranked ninth in HSM (U). The Balaji Telefilms produced Hindi soap Kumkum Bhagya that was aired on Zee Anmol and was the most watched Hindi GEC programme during primetime in HSM (U+R) and HSM (U). Another Hindi soap Ganga that was aired on Zeel was the second most watched programme during primetime in HSM (R).

Also retaining its week 15 rank of fourth rank in week 16 of 2018 was Star India’s FTA Hindi GEC Star Bharat. However, the channel saw a 5.8 per cent decline in ratings to 637.080 million weekly impressions during the week under review as compared to 675.961 million weekly impressions in week 15 of 2018. Star Bharat was ranked second in BARC’s list of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R), third in HSM (U) and fifth in HSM (R).

Re-entering BARC’s weekly list of top 10 channels across genres at rank five in week 16 of 2018 was Rishtey with 631.658 million weekly impressions. Rishtey was ranked third in BARC’s list of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R); second in HSM (R) and eighth in HSM (U).

Dropping down a rank was SPN’s women focused Hindi GEC Sony Pal at sixth rank in week 16 of 2018. The channel saw a 7.5 per cent decline in ratings in week 16 of 2018 to 606.067 million weekly impressions as compared to 655.047 million weekly impressions in the previous week. Sony Pal was ranked fourth in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R), third in HSM (R) and seventh in HSM (U) in week 16 of 2018. Three programmes on Sony Pal – Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, CID and Balveer were ranked third, fourth and fifth respectively in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi GEC programmes in HSM (R).

Holding on to its seventh rank of week 15 in week 16 was Zeel’s flagship Hindi GEC Zee TV. The channel recorded a 1.8 per cent decline in ratings in week 16 of 2018 at 533.901 weekly impressions as compared to 543.830 million weekly impressions in week 15. Zee TV was ranked sixth in BARC’s list of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R) and HSM (R) and fourth in HSM (U). Three programmes that were aired on the channel – Kundali Bhagya (a spinoff of Kumkum Bhagya); Kumkum Bhagya; and Ishq Subhan Allah were the second, third and fourth most watched Hindi GEC programmes during primetime in week 16 of 2018 in HSM (U+R). These three programmes on the channel were also among the five most Hindi GEC programmes in HSM (U).

Dropping down two ranks to eighth place in week 16 of 2018 with a 7.9 per cent decline in ratings was another Star India FTA Hindi GEC Star Utsav. The channel garnered 532.947 million weekly impressions in week 16 as compared to 578.783 million weekly impressions in week 15 of 2018. Star Utsav was ranked fifth in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R), fourth in HSM (R) and was ranked tenth in HSM (U).

Also re-entering the across genres list in week 16 of 2018 was Colors at ninth rank. The channel was ranked seventh in HSM (U+R); first in HSM(U); and fourth in HSM in BARC’s weekly list of top five Hindi programmes during primetime. Reality show Rising Star that aired on Colors was among BARC’s list of top 10 Hindi programmes during primetime in HSM (U).

Star India’s flagship Telugu GEC dropped two ranks in week 16 and its ratings declined 0.7 per cent to 511.650 million weekly impressions from week 515.466 million weekly impressions in week 15. Star Maa topped the list of top five Telugu channels in the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana markets. The first three shows in BARC’s list of top five Telugu programmes during primetime featured in Star Maa.

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Four Star India channels among top ten in across-genre list

Zee Anmol regains top Hindi GEC spot across genres

April 27, 2018
IPL 11 catapults Star Sports 1 Hindi to second place in across genres

BENGALURU: The eleventh edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 11 began on Saturday, 7 April 2018, the first day of Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) week 15 of 2018. As has become a norm, the league poaches eyeballs from all other genres in the country on weekdays during primetime. This time IPL broadcast rights were awarded to Star India. Right in the first week of IPL 11, Indian’s penchant for the battle between the willow and leather shows, based on BARC’s weekly data for top 10 channels across genre in week 15 of 2018. Star India’s sports channel Star Sports 1 Hindi (SS1H) made a grand entry and how!

Six Hindi GECs and one channel each from the Tamil GEC, Telugu GEC, Hindi movies and sports genres comprised BARC’s list of top-10 channels across genres–All India (U+R): 2+ individuals. Half the number of top-10 channels were from Star India, two each were from Sony Pictures Network India (SPN) and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (Zeel), and one was from the Sun TV Network.

In week 15, Sun TV Network’s flagship Tamil GEC Sun TV barely made it to the top spot in the list with 935.993 million weekly impressions. Sun TV also topped BARC’s list of top-five Tamil channels and all the top-five programmes during primetime featured on Sun TV in the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry markets.

Close on Sun TV’s heels at second rank in BARC’s across-genre list was Star India’s SS1H with 945.856 million weekly impressions. The channel ranked first in BARC’s list of top-five sports channels during the week under review. The top-five sports programmes during primetime featured on SS1H, with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) match being the most watched sports programme during prime time.

At third place in week 15 of 2018 was Zeel’s free-to-air (FTA) Hindi GEC Zee Anmol with 678.472 million weekly impressions. Zee Anmol was also ranked third in week 14 of 2018. Zee Anmol topped BARC’s lists of top-10 Hindi GEC in the Hindi-speaking markets (HSM) in urban and rural (U+R) and rural (R). Balaji Telefilms-produced family soap Kumkum Bhagya on Zee Anmol was the most watched Hindi GEC programme during prime time in HSM (U+R) and HSM (R). Another programme on the channel, Ganga, was also among BARC’s five most-watched Hindi GEC programmes during prime time in HSM (R).

The Star Network FTA Hindi GEC Star Bharat dropped to fourth rank in week 15 of 2018 from second place in week 14 with 675.961 million weekly impressions. Star Bharat was ranked second in BARC’s list of top-10 channels in HSM (U+R), first in HSM (U) and fourth in HSM (R). The show Kya Haal Mr Panchal was the fourth most-watched Hindi GEC programme during prime time in HSM (U+R).

SPN’s women-focused channel Sony Pal dropped a rank to fifth place in week 15 of 2018 as compared to fourth place in the previous week. Sony Pal scored 655.047 million weekly impressions during the week under consideration in BARC’s list of top-10 channels across genres. Sony Pal was ranked third in BARC’s list of top-10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R) and was ranked second in HSM (R). Taarak Mehta ka Ooltah Chashmah was among the five most-watched Hindi GEC programmes during prime time in HSM (U+R) and HSM (R). Two more programmes that featured on the channel– crime show CID and Baalveer—were also among BARC’s top-five Hindi GEC programmes during prime time in HSM (R).

Another Star India FTA Star Utsav was ranked sixth in week 15 of 2018 with 578.783 million weekly impressions. Star Bharat was ranked fourth in BARC’s list of top-10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U+R) and ranked third in HSM (R).

Zee’s flagship Hindi GEC Zee TV retained its previous week’s seventh rank in week 15 of 2018 with 543.830 million weekly impressions. Zee TV was ranked fifth in BARC’s weekly list of top-10 Hindi GEC channels in HSM (U+R) and fourth in HSM (U). Kumkum Bhagya and its spinoff Kundali Bhayga’s Mahasangam, which was featured on Zee TV, was the second most-watched show during prime time in HSM (U+R) and the most-watched show during primetime in HSM (U). Another soap, Ishq Subhan Allah, was the third most-watched Hindi GEC programme in HSM (U+R).

Star India’s flagship Telugu GEC Star Maa was ranked eighth in week 15 of 2018 with 515.466 million weekly impressions. Star Maa was the top-ranked Telugu channel in BARC’s list of top-five Telugu channels in the Andhra Pradesh/Telangana markets. Three programmes, including a Telugu feature films Raja the Great that featured on Star Maa, were among BARC’s top-five Telugu programmes during primetime.

Star India’s flagship Hindi GEC Star Plus was ranked ninth in week 15 of 2018 with 497.243 million weekly impressions. Star Plus was ranked second in BARC’s list of top-10 Hindi GECs in HSM (U). Two programmes on Star Plus, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai and Ye Hai Mohabbatein, were among BARC’s list of top-five Hindi GEC programmes in HSM (U).

SPN’s movie channel Sony Max was ranked tenth in week 15 of 2018 with 489.489 million weekly impressions. Sony Max topped BARC’s list of top-five Hindi movies channels during the week in HSM and was among the top-five Hindi movies channels in HSM (U+R) and HSM (U). Hindi feature film DJ was among the top-five Hindi movie programmes during prime time in HSM (U+R) and HSM (U). Sooryavansham and Kanchana Returns were also among the top-five Hindi movie programmes during primetime in HSM (U).

Also Read :

Four Star India channels among top ten in across-genre list

All Hindi channels with Sun TV in across genres list

Zee Anmol regains top Hindi GEC spot across genres

April 20, 2018