Tag: Republic TV

Republic TV tops once again as genre ratings fall

BENGALURU: Republic TV juggernaut continued its relentless dominance of the Indian English News genre according to Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) weekly viewership for week 40 of 2017 (Saturday, 30 September 2017 to Friday, 6 October 2017). The Arnab Goswami led channel has been leading the genre right from its launch 22 weeks ago in week 19 of 2017.

However, BARC data for top 5 English News channels (All India (U+R) : NCCS AB : Males 22+ Individuals) reveals that the combined viewership of the top 5 channels of the genre plunged to lowest ever since week 22 of 2017. Also, Republic TV’s ratings in week 40 of 2017 were the lowest ever since its commencement. It may be noted that week 21 ratings have not been considered in this paper, because the other channels supported by the News Broadcasting Association had stripped their BARC audio watermarks to disallow viewership measurement in protest against what they termed as unfair practices by Republic TV. The errant channels returned to the BARC fold in week 22 of 2017.

Republic TV with 840,000 weekly impressions (Sums) for week 40 of 2017 led the genre, followed by the channel it had disposed from numero uno position when it was launched – The Times Group’s flagship English News channel Times Now that stood at second place with 717,000 weekly impressions (Sums). The previous lowest viewership ratings of Republic TV was in weeks 25 and 27 of 2017 – 868,000 weekly impressions (Sums).

The Prannoy and Radhika Roy led NDTV 24 x 7 climbed to third place in the genre with 347,000 weekly impressions (Sums) in week 40 from fifth rank in week 39 when it had garnered 328,000 weekly impressions (Sums).

NDTV 24×7 was followed by India Today Television at fourth place in week 40 of 2017 with 338,000 weekly impressions (Sums). In week 39 also the channel was ranked fourth with 353,000 weekly impressions (Sums). CNN News 18 dropped two ranks to fifth place in week 40 of 2017 with 244,000 weekly impressions (Sums). The channel had scored 368,000 weekly impressions (Sums) in week 39.

Overall, the Indian English News genre lost viewership in week 40 of 2017 – the combined ratings of the top 5 channels was 2,486,000 weekly impressions the lowest since week 22 of 2017 when the combined ratings of the top 5 channels was 2,463,000 weekly impressions. In week 39, the combined viewership of the top 5 English News channels was 2,888,000 weekly impressions. Please refer to the figure below for the combined ratings of the top 5 English News channels for weeks 1 to 40 of 2017.

October 12, 2017
Arnab’s Republic TV to air 1971 ‘Air Battle of Srinagar’ on Air Force Day

MUMBAI: This Air Force Day on 8 October, Republic TV will telecast the documentary “The Air Battle of Srinagar”, about the heroic role played by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in the 1971 War.

The channel’s ethos lie in putting the nation above all and celebrating the unity in diversity, which has flourished despite a myriad of issues. The Air Battle of Srinagar depicts the fighting spirit of the Indian Airforce which played a pivotal role in protecting India.

The documentary gives a brief backdrop to how the 1971 war began and how through the pivotal actions of Air Force got Pakistan to surrender in 14 days, in one of the biggest mass surrenders since the Second World War. The focus of the documentary is on the air action that took place in Srinagar. That air field had no radar and no fighter aircraft stationed due to the UN agreement. Each day of this war this air base was subjected to repeated and savage attacks on the scarce protection, but it valiantly fought back and managed to emerge victorious.

The documentary has used 2D and 3D animation and VFX effects brilliantly to portray the scenes of air to air combat and attacks upon air fields. The visual narrative and storytelling is gripping and sets a new benchmark in the genre of combat films/ documentaries in India. The script and commentary is by Maj Gen (Dr) G D Bakshi, a well-known TV commentator. Many celebrated Army and Air force veterans like AVM Jindal (retd), Col Anil Bhat VSM, Col Bhatia and Wg Cdr Prafulla Bakshi have enacted very convincing roles. Wg Cdr Vinod Kumar Neb VrC and Bar, the fighter hero of the 1965 and 1971 wars has given expert comments on the air combat.

‘The Air Battle of Srinagar” will air on Republic TV on 7 and 8 October at 3pm.

October 7, 2017
Republic TV leads English News as genre ratings increase a bit

BENGALURU: The Arnab Goswami led Republic TV continued its supremacy over the English News genre in week 39 of 2017 (Saturday, 23 September 2017 to Friday, 29 September 2017). The channel has been topping Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) weekly lists of top 10 English News channels All India (U+R) : NCCS AB : Males 22+ Individuals right from the very first week of its launch on 6 May 2017 (week 19 of 2017). The Times Group flagship English News channel Times Now, which had what seemed an unassailable first rank in the genre, was replaced by Republic TV. The combined ratings of the top 5 English News channels in week 39 of 2017 increased to 2.888 million weekly impressions as compared to the 2.716 million weekly ratings in week 38. All the top five channels in week 39 retained their week 38 ranks and places, with four of the five scoring higher ratings as compared to the previous week. Only NDTV 24 x 7 had slightly lower ratings in week 39 as compared to week 38.

In week 39 of 2017, Republic TV viewership increased to 0.982 million weekly impressions from 0.902 million weekly impressions in week 38. Times Now saw its weekly impressions in week 39 increase to 0.857 million as compared to 0.791 million in the previous week and was ranked second in the list. CNN News 18 was ranked third in week 39 with 0.368 million weekly impressions, higher as compared the 0.347 million weekly impressions in week 38.

India Today Television also retained rank four with 0.353 million weekly impressions in week 39 of 2017 as compared to 0.343 million weekly impressions in week 38. NDTV 24 x 7 completed the quintet with 0.328 million weekly impressions in week 39 as compared to 0.331 million weekly impressions in week 38. In week 38, NDTV 24 x 7 had re-entered at fifth place in the top 5 English News genre list replacing BBC World News.

In the meantime, both the genre toppers – Republic TV and Times Now continued their on-air muscle flexing on their respective channels just after BARC ratings were released today after 1100 hours. Each once again showed different interpretations of BARC data to its genre leadership in terms of viewership, while accusing the other of mis-practice and unfairness. Detailed BARC data is generally released to paid subscribers at 1100 hours on Thursday and limited data that has been used to make this report to the public at 1300 hours. Since Thursday 5 October 2017 was a public holiday, the data was released one day later on 6 October 2017.

October 6, 2017
Times Now, Republic TV on-air ratings squabble continues

BENGALURU: The puerile on-air ratings squabble between one of the biggest names in Indian media Bennett Coleman’s Times Group’s Indian English News channel Times Now and the startup Republic TV now led by the former’s editor in chief, Arnab Goswami, continued without abating.

As is their wont every Thursday after the release of Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) ratings data, both the biggest players in the Indian English Television News genre continued boasting about how each was number one in the genre. This spat has been going on since the very first week that Republic TV data was published – this was data for week 19 of 2017 (Saturday, 6 May 2017 to Friday 12 May 2017).

Each channel slices and dices BARC weekly data for the genre in the manner that makes it appear the best and touts the results on its respective channel.

So how did they fare in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 English News channels for week 38 of 2017 (Saturday, 16 September 2017 to Friday, 22 September 2017) today? Let’s take a dekko at the BARC ratings numbers for All India (U+R) : NCCS AB : Males 22+ Individuals. Based on BARC’s demographics, Republic TV has led the English News genre right from the very first week of its launch – it is now 20 weeks that it has held the pole position for.

Republic TV continued to rule the top 5 channels in the English News genre list for week 38 of 2017 with 0.904 million weekly impressions, higher than the previous week’s 0.871 million weekly impressions. Times Now’s ratings also increased in week 38 as compared to week 37 by 20,000 impressions. The channel scored 0.791 million weekly impressions in week 38 as compared to 0.771 million weekly impressions in week 37.

CNN News 18 was placed third in week 38 of 2107 with a steady 0.347 million weekly impressions – the channel was placed fourth in the previous week with approximately the same weekly impressions. India Today Television lost a rank and 4,000 weekly impressions in week 38 as compared to week 37 of 2017. The channel notched fourth rank with 0.343 million weekly impressions in week 38 as compared to 0.347 million weekly impressions and third rank in week 37 of 2017.

NDTV 24×7 reentered the list and completed the top five channels quintet in week 38 of 2017 at rank 5 with 0.331 million weekly impressions. In week 37, it was BBC World News that was ranked 5 with the same number of weekly impressions – 0.331 million.

September 28, 2017
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.

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.

September 21, 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
Republic TV seeks more involvement in NBA India ahead of AGM

MUMBAI: It has shaken up the Indian news broadcasting space within just a few months of its existence. Now, Republic TV, co-promoted by Arnab Goswami, is seeking to sweep clean the functioning of an industry body— the News Broadcasters’ Association of India or NBA, which, incidentally, is holding its tenth annual general meeting next week.

Though recently it was inducted into the NBA India as a member, Republic’s Arnab, earlier in May, had dubbed the news outfit as a “cabal” and a “toothless body used for lobbying” by a chosen few people. Republic TV has now urged its concerns on the alleged “undemocratic” ways of NBA India to be discussed in the next meeting of the industry organization.

In a letter signed by its CEO Vikas Khanchandani and addressed to NBA India secretary general Annie Thomas, Republic TV has expressed that it would like to be an active participant in the process of addressing and finding solutions for the news broadcasters’ collective concerns.

However, it has pointed out that a couple of governance practices in NBA India’s charter are preventing it being an active participant, labelling them as quite “undemocratic.”

Amongst these is the provision that allows for seven “permanent” members. Republic TV’s assertions — “this may have been necessary in the early stages of the association, but maintaining a continued preferential even today is unjustified” — could very well set the cat amongst the pigeons if the note to NBA India is discussed at next week’s AGM and an amicable solution is not arrived at.

The second objection of Republic TV is a provision that the NBA India board has been given powers to “induct up to two permanent directors with the affirmative vote of all the permanent directors voting in that meeting.” The letter, reviewed by Indiantelevision.com, states, “This is an arbitrary power and needs to change with the new realities.”

Another rule, which it believes is restrictive, is the requirement of a six-month membership (before an ordinary general meeting), if a member wants to elect a representative to the association’s board. “This effectively keeps a new member like us outside the election process,” Khanchandani’s note points out, making it clear that Republic TV wants to be an office-bearer of NBA India.

Additionally, it has alleged that the election of the NBA India office bearers, including the president, happens more by consensus rather than by an open electoral process, a system that needs an “immediate change.”

Republic TV has stated that it would like these “permanent” practices and rules to be updated and made more relevant for today in its letter that has also been marked to the minister for information & broadcasting (MIB), secretary MIB and all NBA India members. Why the letter has been also copied to the government is not clear.

Indiantelevision.com on Friday evening reached out to Joseph to get the NBA viewpoint and she stated that she was not authorized to speak to the media “on these matters.” The association’s vice-president and CEO & MD of Times TV Network/Times Global Broadcasting MK Anand said he was clueless about the Republic TV letter.

Well, this was the news bulletin for today, but keep tuned in as we keep tracking this developing story.

Also Read: “The NBA is a toothless group,” says Republic TV’s Arnab Goswami

NBA urges BARC not to release Republic TV viewership data until LCN issue is resolved

New NBA member Republic TV wants regional & web players in

Republic TV files contempt petition against Times Group

India Today Group CEO Ashish Bagga resigns

September 15, 2017
Republic TV leads even as ratings fall

BENGALURU: The Arnab Goswami-led Indian English News channel Republic TV continued to lead its genre in 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 35 of 2017 (Saturday, 26 August 2017 to Friday, 1 September 2017).

The channel has been the genre leader right from the first week since its launch on Saturday, 6 May 2017 (Week 19 of 2017). Two channels lost viewership in week 35 as compared to week 34, while the other three gained viewership in terms of weekly impressions.

Though Republic TV topped the English News genre, it obtained only 0.899 million weekly impressions in week 35 as compared to the 1.048 million weekly impressions in week 34 or the 2.117 million weekly impressions in the week of its launch. Following on the heels of Republic TV was the previous genre topper Times Now with 0.868 million weekly impressions at second place in week 35. In week 34 of 2017, Times Now had obtained 0.836 million weekly impressions.

Times Now was followed by India Today Television at the third place in week 35 with 0.489 million impressions, better than the 0.437 million impressions in week 34. NDTV 24×7 climbed back to fourth place of week 33 in week 35. The channel scored 0.378 million impressions as compared to the 0.325 million impressions in week 34. CNN News 18 completed the quintet at fifth place with 0.308 million impressions in week 35, lower than the 0.333 million impressions in week 34.

September 7, 2017
Times Network makes a 180-degree and 3D 360-degree virtual reality move

MUMBAI: We all thought virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) are something in the future, right? Well, no, not really. It is here, right here, right now.

Take a look at the way in which Indian news television channels are beginning to sprint towards the two innovative ways of delivering content and immersing viewers in news stories.

The first mover was NDTV which quietly started putting out flat VR videos online. Republic TV made a big bang announcement a few months ago with its plans to launch a VR production studio and to produce some clips and shows. Zee Media’s English language channel WION has also been uploading and hosting some sourced world news VR clips online.

And, even as other TV news channels have been pawing at the VR starting line, Times Network has already begun to take rapid strides in that direction. The news network is going the full Monty – 3D 360 degree video-based VR and Google’s new 180 degree VR formats.

“It’s a natural attempt. Ultimately, video experiences are changing because of technology,” says Times Network CEO MK Anand. “So, we are creating a lab internally. Our camera and content people are currently being put through the paces and training to produce videos and pilots in 3D 360 degree video and 180 degree VR.”

Dubai-based Real Vision founder and VR expert Clyde DeSouza has been roped in to train a handful of Times journos and cameramen to understand the nuances of VR/AR and also what kind of content and stories are suitable for VR and immersive journalism.

Says Clyde: “Times Now’s use of the new VR180 format compatible with Google’s Daydream headsets will be a first for immersive journalism globally as it allows the videos to be viewed as regular flat clips on any device. But, these videos become immersive and 3D once they are inserted into a Google Cardboard or a DayDream headset. Google is working with a few select partners on this at the moment. The Times Network has made some initial investments in VR hardware and is now investing in gaining skillsets.”

Clyde reveals the first VR step is to pick up the VR gear, good gear. “Most companies are going for Chinese cameras which are cheaper at around $3,500 to $33,000 but don’t have full capabilities as the cameras are not in sync with each other or they exhibit only 3D VR artifacts,” he explains.

“Flat 360 video does not show scale of the various subjects being presented, and hence is not a true immersive experience. To get good quality videos with all the concomitant, full blown VR 180-degree or 3D 360-degree capabilities, the investments are much higher or there are cheaper solutions available like renting the Google Jump system which includes the camera and the cloud stitching.”

He points out to the VR efforts being put in by the US-based broadsheet New York Times and the UK pubcaster, the BBC, as real standouts. “The Beeb’s videos on the refugee induction programme in the UK for instance have transcended video-based VR and are exploring hybrid VR storytelling and experiential news journalism.”

Clyde is quite excited about the potential of VR in Indian TV news because of the plethora of news channels operating nationally and he sees himself as a bit of an evangelist for the new format. “I am excited about VR/AR news videos in the Indian ecosystem,” says he, with a gleam in his eye. “I am sure more and more editors and news CEOs will follow.”

September 7, 2017
Republic TV continues to lead English News genre for 16th consecutive week

BENGALURU: The Arnab Goswamin-led Indian English news channel Republic TV continued to lead the genre for the sixteenth week in a row (fifteenth, if numbers for week 21 are not considered) in week 34 (Saturday, 19 August 2017 to Friday, 25 August 2017).

Republic TV was launched on 6 May 2017, the first day of week 19 of 2017 and has been leading the genre since. The channel garnered 1.048 million weekly impressions, in week 34, almost the same as the 1.044 million weekly impressions it had in the previous week.

As reported by Indiantelevision.com earlier, just a couple of weeks after the launch of Republic TV – in week 21, its peer Indian English news channels had withdrawn their watermarks owing to which BARC was unable to fairly measure ratings for the English News genre – the rebelling 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, not a compliance agency. For one week ratings of Indian English News channels were not published by BARC, until the erring channels returned to the BARC audience measurement fold.

For a change, this Thursday, just post 1100 am when BARC reveals ratings to channels, Times Now did mention the breakup in percentage terms its overall relative share as has been the norm. The channel just ran a still showing that it had a relative share of 37 percent. It’s bête noire, Republic TV, however did give a breakup of primetime ratings from its perspective. Both channels however did continue their traditional ticker tapes boasts and claims, while running each other down.

Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) data for Top 5 English News channels (All India (U+R) : NCCS AB : Males 22+ Individuals) for week 34 reveals that two of the top 5 English News channels lost viewership in week 34 as compared to week 33. While Times Now lost ratings, CNN News 18 and NDTV 24×7 interchanged fourth and fifth places in week 34, with the latter losing viewership. Overall, the genre seems to have reported lower viewership if one were to go by the combined weekly impressions of the top 5 English News channels in week 34 ad compared to week 33. The combined weekly impressions of the top five English News channels were 2.979 million in week 34 as compared to 3.091 million in week 33.

Republic TV’s closest competitor Times Now lost over 203,000 weekly impressions at the reported 0.836 million weekly impressions in week 34 as compared to the 1.039 million weekly impressions in week 33. India Today Television retained its third place in the list with 0.437 million weekly impressions in week 34 as compared to 0.366 million weekly impressions in week 33.

CNN News 18 was at fourth place in week 34 with 0.333 million weekly impressions as compared to fifth place in week 33 with 0.290 weekly impressions. NDTV 24×7 was fifth in the week with 0.325 million weekly impressions as compared to 0.352 million weekly impressions and fourth place in week 33.

August 31, 2017