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  • English News ratings’ slide continues although Republic TV viewership improves slightly

    English News ratings’ slide continues although Republic TV viewership improves slightly

    BENGALURU: The Arnab Goswami headed Indian English News channel Republic TV has been leading the genre in terms of viewership right from week 19 of 2017, the week the channel was launched. Republic TV started with a bang – it had garnered 2.117 million weekly impressions as per Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) weekly list of top 5 English News channels All India (U+R): NCCS AB: Males 22+ Individuals in week 19 of 2017. The channel continued to lead the English News genre in week 37 of 2017 (Saturday, 9th September 2017 to Friday, 15th September 2017) with 871,000 weekly impressions, much better than the nadir of 854,000 weekly impressions in the previous week. Though Republic TV gained 17,000 more viewers in week 37, its other genre peers, except CNN News 18, lost ratings and the combined weekly impressions of the top 5 English News channels in week 37 of 2017 fell to 2.669 million weekly impressions which was lower than the previous week’s combined ratings of 2.76 million. 

    The gap between Republic TV and runner up Times Now widened to about 10,000 impressions as the latter recorded 771,000 weekly impressions in week 37 of 2017as compared to 813,000 weekly impressions in week 36. India Today Television also lost viewership in week 37 of 2017. The channel recorded 349,000 weekly impressions in week 37 of 2017 compared to 453,000 weekly impressions in week 36. CNN News 18 climbed to fourth place in week 37 of 2017 with 347,000 weekly impressions, better than rank 5 and the 310,000 weekly impressions in week 36 of 2017. BBC World News completed the quintet in week 37 of 2017 with 331,000 weekly impressions. The channel replaced week 36’s fourth placed NDTV24x7, which exited the top 5 English News channels list in week 37. Please refer to the figure below.

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    The average ratings of the top 5 channels in the English News genre between weeks 1 to 37 (except week 21 of 2017) were 2.466 million weekly impressions. The highest combined ratings of the top five channels from the English News genre were in week 11 of 2017 at 4.897 million weekly impressions, while the lowest were in week 2 of 2017 at 1.179 million weekly impressions.
     

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

    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):

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    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.

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    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.

     

  • Republic TV helps increase English News genre viewership

    Republic TV helps increase English News genre viewership

    BENGALURU: Arnab Ranjan Goswami is one of the most recognised faces on Indian Television. Earlier, as the editor-in-chief of the Times Network flagship English News channel Times Now, Goswami raised the hackles of many during his shows on the channel. He quit Times Now in November last year to start another English News channel. Goswami is now the managing director and editor-in-chief of Republic TV, which launched on 6 May 2017. Republic TV is now the bête noire of Times Now.

    Goswami still continues to shout down, to run down panelists who don’t agree with him, who don’t listen to him, who don’t see him eye-to-eye. One may like him, hate him, but one just can’t ignore him.

    And this seems to work for viewers, going by the ratings that Republic TV has been getting. Right from the first week of its launch (week 19 of 2017 – Saturday 6 May 2017 to Friday 12 May 2017) the channel has topped Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) ratings in its genre.

    Now, to some background. Republic TV has not had a welcome from its peer English News channels – various attempts have been made to make the channel’s presence in the English News genre as unhealthy as possible. Just a couple of weeks after the launch of Republic TV – in week 21, its peer Indian English news channels had withdrawn their watermarks which made it difficult for BARC to fairly measure ratings for the English News genre – the channels didn’t want BARC to measure the new entrant’s ratings claiming that Republic TV was using unfair means to garner more ratings. BARC refused to kowtow, saying that it was only a measuring agency, and not a compliance agency. For a week, ratings of Indian English news channels were not published by BARC, until the erring channels returned to the BARC audience measurement fold.

    Republic TV has been topping the BARC weekly ratings charts (All India (U+R) : NCCS AB : Males 22+ Individuals) for 15 weeks (14 weeks excluding week 21) since its launch. Republic TV and Times Now are the top two channels in the genre. The other channels – be it India Today Television, NDTV 24×7 or CNN News 18 have so far managed to garner half or lesser viewership than Times Now during the first 33 weeks of 2017.

    In week 19 – the week that it was launched, Republic TV garnered 2.117 million weekly impressions – the second highest ratings ever by a channel in 2017. Week 19 was an ordinary week, and yet the ratings for its biggest competitor and Goswami’s previous employer – Times Now rose by 78 percent to 1.148 million impressions as compared to its week 18 ratings of 0.645 million weekly impressions. The combined ratings of the other 4 channels besides Republic TV that belong to top 5 English News channels list in week 19 (Times Now, NDTV 24×7, India Today Television CNN)   were just a little more than those of Republic TV at 2.165 million weekly impressions. The combined ratings of the English News genre in week 19 of 2017 were 4.282 million, the second highest ratings ever by the genre’s top 5 channels in 2017.

    The only other time that a channel obtained higher ratings was in week 11 of 2017 – (Saturday, 11 March 2017 to Friday 17 March 2017) – this was the week in which election results for five states were announced. Times Now garnered 2.282 million weekly impressions in that week – note Republic TV was not present on television at that time. The combined weekly impressions of the top 5 English News channels in week 11 were 4.897 million– the highest combined ratings obtained by the top 5 channels of the genre to date in 2017.

    Until week 18, the average ratings of the English News genre were 1.884 million weekly impressions. Between weeks 19 and 33 (excluding week 22 ratings) the genre’s average ratings have gone up by 65 percent to 3.107 million weekly impressions. Please refer to the figure below:

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    The other English News channels have also gained because of Republic TV. The average ratings of the other 4 channels from BARC’s top 5 English News channels list between week 19 and week 33 (excluding Republic TV, from week 19 onward) was 1.9 million weekly impressions. The number may seem just a little more than average weekly impressions of 1.884 million of the top 5 English News channels until week18 – note this is the combined number for 5 channels, while average of 1.9 million weekly impressions after week 18 is the number for 4 channels.

    Republic TV’s closest competitor Times Now has seen a 26 percent increase in its average weekly ratings for 14 weeks between weeks 19 and 33 of 2017 (excluding week 21) to 0.947 million weekly impressions as compared to the average of 0.751 million weekly impressions the channel had for 18 weeks – between weeks 1 to 18 of 2017. Over the past few weeks, Times Now ratings have been closing in on Republic TV’s ratings. Will the channel be able to claw back to its numero uno position? Only time can tell.

    ALSO READ :

    Times Now narrows gap with Republic TV, again

    Republic TV & Pushkar’s kin restrained, hearing on 21 Sept

    Do you want argumentative or sophisticated media, asks Arnab Goswami

    Arnab Goswami told to respect Tharoor’s right, Delhi HC hearing on 16 Aug

  • Stunning victory for Republic TV, Republic watches Times Now

    Stunning victory for Republic TV, Republic watches Times Now

    BENGALURU: As news television channels flashed and experts sliced, diced, hashed and rehashed the Supreme Court judgment holding the right to privacy as a fundamental right, the two premier English news television channels continued their own hashing and rehashing of ratings data on air. 

    Examples of the level of mockery that the two channels have made in the name of breaking news are in the title of this story – the first sentence of the title was flashed quite obviously on the Arnab Goswami lead Republic TV and the second one again obviously on Times Now.

    Here is an example of what Times Now viewers saw on their idiot boxes just post 1100 am this morning:

    Some of the prominent flashes on Times Now were statements such as The Republic watches Times Now; Victory for Honesty and Hard Word; India Rejects Stale and Biased Journalism; India endorses Honesty & credibility; Stories that force you to watch; etc.

    Times Now flashed relative share for English News genre: Times Now 42  percent; Republic TV 27 percent; India Today Television 10 percent; CNN News 18 – 8 percent; NDTV 24X 7 10 percent

    And this is what Republic TV viewers saw on their idiot boxes:

    200% greater than Times Now in primetime; Stunning victory for Republic TV; 15 weeks non-stop number 1; Stunning number 1 run continues; All India number 1 again; Forced and fake reach demolished; News wins, Content wins; Sensational leadership continues; Competition demolished in all India numbers.

    Republic TV indicated primetime (2100 to 2300 hours) ratings as 43 percent, 23.27 percent Times Now; CNN News 18 -11.10 percent; India Today Television 12.99 percent; NDTV 24×7 -8.68 percent; News X 1 percent.

    Both the channels have referred to Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) weekly data for week 33 of 2017.

    Also Read:

    Times Now narrows gap with Republic TV, again

    Republic TV & Pushkar’s kin restrained, hearing on 21 Sept

    Times Now closes in on Republic TV

    Arnab Goswami told to respect Tharoor’s right, Delhi HC hearing on 16 Aug

  • Times Now – Republic TV slugfest continues as ratings gap narrows

    BENGALURU: The on-air spat about numerouno status continued between the two biggest players in the English News genre. The slugfest commenced with the launch of Republic TV in week 19 of 2017 on Saturday May 6 2017 with the new channel breaking Times Now’s firm hold on the pole position in the genre and how! Republic TV opened at the top of the English News genre with a stupendous 2.117 million weekly impressions, followed far behind with the usurped leader Times Now with 1.148 million weekly impressions in week 19 of 2017.

    Twelve weeks later, in week 30 (Saturday 22 July 2017 to Friday 28 July 2017), Republic TV still continues to rule the genre. Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) data for week 30 must of the top 5 English News  must be a jolt for the newcomer with Times Now two narrowing the margin to just 2,000 weekly impressions. Republic TV scored 1.074 million weekly impressions and Times Now 1.072 million impressions! Earlier, the closest the two channels ratings had come was in week 24 of 2017 when Republic TV garnered 0.963 million weekly impressions to Times Now’s 0.935million weekly impressions.

    Trailing far behind at third place in week 30 was India Today Television with 0.375 million weekly impressions as per BARC data for the top 5 English News channels – All India (U+R): NCCS AB: Males 22+ Individuals. NDTV 24×7 was fourth with 0.360 million weekly impressions followed close behindby CNN News 18 with 0.354 million weekly impresssions.

    As reported earlier post week 19, theArnabGoswami led new entrant raised the hackles of the existing players- accusations of theft, of rigging the ratings, running a ratings battle on Republic TV and its competition. It was suddenly an all-out war – multiple Goliaths had got together to demolish the fledgling David. The older channels ganged up together to stifle the new channel that the industry says followed practises that were of a doubtful nature. Ultimatums were given to the official ratings agency – BARC, it either stopped publishing Republic TV viewership data or the other Indian English News channels represented by the News Broadcasting Association (NBA) would withdraw their watermarks and hence disable BARC from publishing a fair picture of ratings lists. The NBA backed channels returned to the BARC fold in week 22.

    However, just post 1100 hours on Thursday 3 August 2017, both the channels claimed leadership in the genre by slicing and dicing BARC data to the component that was most favourable to each. Times Now quoted relative share numbers and claimed first place, while Republic TV harped on its leadership position during the primetime debate hours of 900 pm to 1100 pm. Republic TV now turned around and without naming the channel, accused it of using money muscle and unfair trade practises.

    Over the past twelve weeks- eleven weeks actually if one were to eliminate the neglect the ratings for week 21 of 2017, Republic TV’s overall combined ratings are about a third more at 13.368 million impressions than Times Now’s 10.068 million impressions. Please refer to the figure below for weekly impressions by the two channels between weeks 19 and 30 of 2017 excluding week 21.

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  • No let-up in Times-Republic on-air spat

    BENGALURU: Over the past few weeks on Thursdays’, just post 1100 am, both the top ranked Indian English News channels-Times Now and Republic TV started flashing BARC data, each claiming the number one spot based on ratings. The channels have continued this on-air spat once again. Republic TV says that it has topped ratings for an unprecedented sixth week in a row. The channel claims that Indian ratings monitor Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) data for week 24 (Saturday, 11 June 2017 to Friday, 17 June 2017) has declared it number one across all segments at primetime and super primetime in week 24. It claims 36 per cent viewership.

    BARC data flashed by Republic TV about viewership: Republic TV 48.42 per cent; Times Now 25.05 per cent; CNN News 18 – 9.38 per cent; Indian Tiday 9.68 percent; NDTV 6.3 percent; News X- 1.11 per cent.

    ‘Pecking Order Firmly Established’ ‘Slice & Dice Won’t Work’ ‘Self Styled Claims Don’t Matter’ announced some of the slides on Republic TV

    In the meantime, Times Now has been flashing on its channel that it is the number one in the English News genre with a relative viewership of 42 per cent while putting Republic TV at second place with a relative viewership of 32 per cent. Times Now puts CNN News 18 7 percent India Today TV’s relative share at 12 per cent, and NDTV 24×7 at 5 per cent.

    “The viewership debate is over, we are number 1. It is now one month since we have been in operation and we have now become undisputed leaders in this genre. The game has just begun and we are now absolutely unstoppable. We will take the game to the next level,” Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami had declared in week 22, during a live telecom with Republic TV anchor Hariharan aired on his channel, just after 11:15am on that day.

    It may be recalled that in a coordinated move, English News channels had pulled out of BARC on 18 May, only to return to the BARC fold on from midnight of 26 May. English News channels backed by the News Broadcast Association had stripped their signals of BARC audio watermarks. The NBA had requested BARC not to publish Republic TV’s ratings, alleging that the channel has resorted to rampant multiple LCN placements on cable TV networks across the country.

  • Times Now-Republic TV on-air ratings spat continues as each claims top spot in week 23

    BENGALURU: Last week on Thursday, just post 11 am, the newborn Republic TV and the grand old lady of the English news business Times Now, starting flashing BARC data, each claiming the number one spot in viewership. The channels have continued this on-air spat once again. Republic TV says that it has done it once again, if one were to go by the Indian ratings monitor Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) numbers flashed by it on the channel for week 23 (Saturday, 3 June 2017 to Friday, 10 June 2017).

    Republic TV claims that it has been number one across all segments in week 23. It claims 147 per cent greater viewership than Times Now across all segments across India and 247 per cent greater viewership than Times Now at super primetime.

    In the meantime, Times Now has been flashing on its channel that it is the number one in the English news genre with a relative viewership of 42 per cent while putting Republic TV at second place with a relative viewership of 31 per cent. Times Now puts CNN News 18 9 per cent India Today TV’s relative share at 7 per cent, and NDTV 24×7 at 5 per cent each.

    Republic TV shared viewership details of the other peers in the English News genre: Times Now-28.8 per cent; CNN News 18-12 per cent; India Today News-11 per cent; NDTV-19 per cent; News X-2.5 per cent.

    “The viewership debate is over, we are number 1. It is now one month since we have been in operation and we have now become undisputed leaders in this genre. The game has just begun and we are now absolutely unstoppable. We will take the game to the next level,” declared Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami last week, during a live telecom with Republic TV anchor Hariharan aired on his channel, just after 11:15AM.

    It may be recalled that in a coordinated move, English News channels had pulled out of BARC on 18 May, only to return to the BARC fold on from midnight of 26 May. English News channels backed by the News Broadcast Association had stripped their signals of BARC audio watermarks. The NBA had requested BARC not to publish Republic TV’s ratings, alleging that the channel has resorted to rampant multiple LCN placements on cable TV networks across the country.

  • Republic does it again – tops the English News genre in week 22

    BENGALURU: Republic TV has done it again, if one were to go by the Indian ratings monitor Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) numbers flashed by it on the channel. Republic TV claims viewership percentage of 43 percent overall and 57 percent during primetime for week 22 (Saturday, 27 May 2017 to Friday, 2 June 2017). The channel says that it has been number one across all segments in week 22.

    Republic TV shared viewership details of the other peers in the English News genre: Times Now-32.3 percent; CNN News 18-5.8 percent; India Today News-10.1 percent; NDTV-8.2 percent; News X-2.7 percent.

    “The viewership debate is over, we are number 1. It is now one month since we have been in operation and we have now become undisputed leaders in this genre. The game has just begun and we are now absolutely unstoppable. We will take the game to the next level,” said Republic TV editor-in-chief during a live telecom with Republic TV anchor Hariharan aired on his channel.

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    In the meantime, Times Now has been flashing on its channel that it is no one in the English News genre with a relative viewership of 39 percent while  putting Republic TV at second place with a relative viewership of 37 percent. Times Now puts India Today TV’s relative share at 7 percent, CNN News 18 and NDTV 24×7 at 5 percent each.

    It may be recalled that in a coordinated move, English News channels had pulled out of BARC on 18 May, only to return to the BARC fold on from midnight of 26 May. English News channels backed by the News Broadcast Association had stripped their signals of BARC audio watermarks. The NBA had requested BARC not to publish Republic TV’s ratings, alleging that the channel has resorted to rampant multiple LCN placements on cable TV networks across the country.  

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    In the first week of operations (BARC week 19), Republic TV had a viewership share of 52 percent, which fell to 49 percent in BARC week 20. Data for week 21 for the English News was irrelevant because of the withdrawal Republic TV’s major competitors from BARC ratings.

  • Republic TV continues to lead English News genre in week after debut

    BENGALURU / MUMBAI: Republic TV claims to have cornered a viewership of 49 per cent for week 20 of 2017 (Saturday 13 May 2017 to Friday 19 May 2017) on its channel. 

    According to BARC India’s weekly data, Republic TV has got 1703 impressions (000s) sums. Times Now with 978 impressions and India Today Television lagging far behind with 289 impressions took the second and the third positions, respectively. 

    Sharing viewership data for other channels, Republic TV states that Times Now had a viewership share of 30 per cent, followed by CNN News 18 and India Today with 7 per cent each. The other major English news channels – NTDV and News X had viewership share of five per cent and 0.6 per cent each, Republic TV claimed. It attributed the ratings to BARC India. 

    According to BARC India’s weekly report, CNN News18 with 281 impressions and NDTV 24×7 with 241 impressions took the fourth and fifth positions, respectively.

    According to data provided by Republic TV (for English News channels in BARC India week 20 ’17, Target Group: – NCCS AB M 22+, Time Band: 0600-2400, 13 May to 17 May’17, in India 1Mn+), Republic TV had 48.7% market share, with the highest average time spent per viewer was 09:29 mins. 

    The viewership of Republic TV was 160% higher than Times Now, 703% higher than CNN News18, 715% than India Today Television & 920% higher than NDTV 24X7. In mega cities, Republic TV had 52.1% viewership, with average time spent per viewers was 11.50 mins, while all other leading channels average time spent was 4.59 mins, according to Republic TV data.

    Republic TV CEO Vikas Khanchandani said that the channel snuffed out competition in the second week of its birth reaffirming the Indian viewer’s choice.

    In India 1Mn+ (Time Band: 2100- 2300), Republic TV had 61% market share. The average time spent of Republic TV was 7.39 mins, while other leading competitor channels average time spent was 3.10 mins. In mega cities, Republic TV’s market share was 55.2%, with an average time spent per viewer was 07.10 mins more than the double of other competitor channels.

    In India 1Mn+ (Time Band: 2200- 2300), Republic TV had 68.7% market share, while Times Now had had only 16.6%, CNN News18 7.1%, NDTV 24X7 4.2% & India Today 2.6%. In mega cities, Republic TV had a market share 63.0%, with an average time spent per viewer was 07.14. Times Now’s market share was only 20.5% & time spent 2.20 mins per viewer. 

    In India 1Mn+ (Time Band: -2000-2400), Republic TV had 55.8% market share. It’s viewership was 238% more than Times Now, 546% more than NDTV 24X7, 937% more than India Today Television & 1379% more than CNN News 18. In mega cities, Republic TV’s market share was 51.5%, double than Times Now’s 25.2%, according to Republic TV data.

  • Republic TV has 51.9% viewership in debut week: BARC gives data to paid subs despite NBA’s request

    MUMBAI/BENGALURU: It’s a coup of sorts. The leader in the English news genre has been surprised by the newcomer — Republic TV. According to BARC India viewership data for week 19, Republic TV has got 2117 weekly impressions and Times Now lags with 1148. NDTV 24×7  (352), India Today Television  (350) and CNN News18  (315) have respectively bagged the third, fourth and fifth positions.

    The controversy-ridden Arnab Goswami-headed English News channel claims on its channel a 52 percent viewership in the very first week of operations which started on 6 May 2017 – this would be Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) week 19 (Saturday, 6 May 2017 to Friday 12 May 2017). The channel started mentioning this news around 11am today. BARC in normal course gives data to paid subcribers at 11am. It has done it is this time too despite NBA’s caution.

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    The channel says that the English News genre leader until week 18, Times Now could garner only 25 percent viewership. Comparative numbers for other channels mentioned by Republic TV are: CNN News 18  and NDTV 24 X 7 – 7 percent each and India Today Television 8 percent.

    As reported by us earlier, the News Broadcaster Association (NBA) had written to BARC on 17 May urging it not to release Republic TV’s viewership data until Republic TV completely stopped the NBA alleged malpractice of being on multiple LCNs’/genres on several DPOs’ and MSOs’. 

    The channel has been running a special show  – at the time of writing –  on which it celebrated its leadership position, bringing in its representatives of its 14-odd news partners who could not praise Arnab, his style of journalism, and his achievement enough. As well as journalists, editors from its team in different parts of the country.  Most of them talked about the fact that the channel was put together in a matter of three to five months, and that its pole position was attained in  English news in just its first week. And they also patted each other on their back for the stories that the channel has been reporting on for the past 10-11 days. 

    “They have raised him to demi-god status,” says a media observer. “Or maybe God status. What will the establishment do now? And what will Arnab and his team do?”