ITV

Tag: Sony

  • Mukta Arts invests Rs 500 mn in Whistling Woods; courses start in July

    Mukta Arts invests Rs 500 mn in Whistling Woods; courses start in July

    MUMBAI: Subhash Ghai-promoted Mukta Arts Ltd has invested Rs 500 million to set up Asia’s biggest film, television, animation and media arts institute in Mumbai.

    Whistling Woods International Ltd (WWIL), which is offering two-year courses, has tied up with technology majors including nVidia, Apple, Sony, AMD, Belden, Nortel, Seneca, DigiDesign, Recreate Solutions, ToonBoom and Sennheiser.

    “At Whistling Woods, we are looking forward to arming the students with in-depth technology information, operating techniques and technical aptitude to enter the global entertainment industry,” states Ghai.

    The aim is to create a talent pool for the rapidly-growing Indian film and animation industry. “We hope the creation of new talent will even help our company ramp up movie production. We have invested Rs 500 million in the project,” says Mukta Arts CEO Ravi Gupta who is also the executive director of WWIL.

    WWIL provides specialisations in Direction, Screenwriting, Editing, Acting, Business of film and television, Cinematography, Art and techniques of animation and sound recording and design. The course fees range from Rs 7,00,000 to Rs 1 million. WWIL’s first batch will hit the classrooms in July 2006.

    “Through our well-respected faculty of working professionals from the industry, who will be educating the students on an international level, we believe that our Indian students can learn the art of story telling and the optimum use of technology for the same. With a good balance between creativity and technology, producing the best work, India will emerge as a major player in the international film, television, animation and media arts industry,” adds Ghai.

  • Sony, Star One bid to get back on narrative track

    It was in early October 2005 that we last had a close look at the Hindi entertainment space. What did we see then?

    The top programmes on Star Plus were witnessing a ratings erosion of between 10-12 per cent on an average. But the key point then was that though Star Plus‘ top shows had dropped on the TRP scale, the channel share had dropped by only 5 per cent due to the expansion of the performing time bands to the weekend — thanks to KBC 2 and its effect on the weekend line up on the channel.

     

    KBC 2‘s unexpected exit and Star Plus‘ failure to present a fitting substitute exposed the channel‘s overdependency on the property

    Add to that was the huge success sibling Star One enjoyed on the back of two talent shows Nach Baliye and The Great Indian Laughter Challenge. So, Star as a network ended the year on a super high note with Star Plus managing to hold steady its grip on Hindi entertainment and the added bonus of Star One‘s meteoric rise in the reckoning.

    Going into the month of April 2006 though, the picture is looking a whole lot different. What has been extensively reported on is Zee TV‘s overtaking of Sony Entertainment Television India’s flagship channel SET to ensconce itself firmly as the clear number two in the Hindi entertainment space.

    What not many seem to have taken note of though is the way Star Plus’ flanker channel, which Star Entertainment India CEO Sameer Nair had hoped would make a serious assault on the number two position, has plummeted hugely from a high of 15.1 channel share in the second week of December to a lowly 5.5 for the week ended 30 April (see charts).

    This brings us to a posit that has been made earlier, but with specific reference to SET — that the recipe of relying on format shows to deliver would prove difficult to sustain as a long term proposition.

    In a sense, the trajectory of both SET and Star One has been similar. While the format shows have offered them temporary spikes, the lack of strong wraparound drama content has meant that overall there has only been a downward spiral witnessed.

     

    Star Plus has finally zeroed in on the period drama Prithviraj Chauhan to fill the void created by KBC2‘s exit

    Comparing the two is not exactly warranted, though except to draw attention to the inability of the format shows to drive up the channel as a whole without solid dramas (or as Nair terms it narrative fiction) as the main menu proposition.

    Why is it incorrect to compare? The format shows worked brilliantly for Star One in the sense that if one looks at where the channel was before these shows “did the trick” it was far lower than where it is now. So basically, Star One is now in direct competition with Sahara One (which has improved on the ratings reckoner). It would appear that the only way ahead from Star One is up, which should be good news as a lot of hope and money is riding on the channel.

    For Sony, a lot depends on how the strategy that the channel is charting on the narrative fiction front takes off. The results haven‘t been too encouraging so far though with the two new prime time shows launched simultaneously on 24 April (Aisa Des Hai Mera and Thodi Khushi Thode Gham) yet to make an impact. This stands out in stark relief when compared to Zee TV‘s new prime time show Jabb Love Hua, which launched the same day and is doing far better.

     

    Channel
    Key properties
    April-May average ratings combined
    Star Plus Kyunki…, Kahaani…, Kasauti… 12.64 TVR
    Star One Laughter Challenge, Mano Ya Na.., Kya Hoga.. 2.61 TVR
    Zee TV Saath Phere, Kasamh Se 4.44 TVR
    Sony Idol final & Idol Muqabla, Fear Factor, CID 3.36 TVR
    Sahara One Cricket, Woh Rehne Wali.., Hanuman (film) 2.76 TVR
    Sab TV Caravan (film), Idol Takka Tak, Wah Wah, Lo Kal.. 0.52 TVR

     

     

    Source: TAM Peoplemeter System TG: CS 4 years + Markets: Hindi Speaking Markets
    Period: 2/4/06 to 6/5/06

     

     

    After Saath Phere and Kasamh Se, Zee‘s latest prime time property Jabb Love Hua is now ringing the alarm bells for rival channels

    If one were to look at Zee, Saath Phere at 9:30 pm delivered and that has given the channel a huge boost. The good show from Kasamh Se, coming at 9 pm, has doubled the channel‘s excitement. According to Tam, the latest prime time offering Jabb Love Hua has also achieved a strong opening. Zee also has strong properties in its afternoon soaps, Paalki and Mamta. Zee is presently strategising its moves to strengthen the afternoon band further.

    What gave Zee the momentum was of course Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2005, which has been a solid home grown quality format property which has pretty much chugged along without too much media noise all these years. When Zee made substantial investments in Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge, it got the dividends.

     

    Sony’s format overkill and the resultant viewer fatigue worked against ‘Indian Idol 2‘ in viewership charts

    While speaking of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge, the case of Sony’s Indian Idol 2 immediately comes into the frame. We remain convinced that Idol is an intrinsically a strong property. So frankly, we are surprised at the low (comparatively) ratings it delivered. About the only reason that makes sense is that Sony’s format overkill led to viewer fatigue.

    After the first edition of Indian Idol signed off on such a high note, in came Fame Gurukul, which also took the music talent route. From a viewer’s perspective, it was one into the next and before gathering breath as it were, there was Idol 2 back again.

    There was a lot of “format noise” on the rival channels as well so that also has to be factored in. Music talent hunt Sa Re Ga Ma Pa has already been discussed. Then there was the celebrity dance contest Nach Baliye and the Great Indian Laughter Challenge on Star One and of course the big daddy of them all KBC 2 on Star Plus.

     

    Will the new soaps such as Aisa Des Hai Mera and Thodi Khushi Thode Gham see Sony pulling its viewers back to the drawing room?

    How do the coming months look for Sony? Well it depends on what are the narrative fiction shows that the channel has launched as well as those in the pipeline fare. Drawing from the example of the US, NBC has slid because it has found nothing to replace cult hits like Friends, Seinfeld and Frasier while ABC’s surge has filled the “vacuum” with hits like Desperate Housewives, Lost and Grey’s Anatomy.

    Coming back to Sony, Jassi has bid its long overdue adieu and the channel has tapped the horror genre (Khauffnak) as its replacement. The show is expected to conclude by June end. What shows the channel throws up next in the time band and how Aisa Des Hai Mera and Thodi Khushi Thode Gham ultimately fare in the ratings reckoning could well determine whether the coming months see SET’s ratings curve travelling north or further south.

  • Sab pitches ‘Twinkle…’ in the tough 9 pm slot

    Sab pitches ‘Twinkle…’ in the tough 9 pm slot

    headlines/y2k6/may/may196.htmMUMBAI: Reinforcing its commitment to reach the Hindi heartland, the ‘lighthearted’ general entertainment channel Sab is now launching a new show – Twinkle Beauty Parlour – on 15 May in the 9 pm slot.

    The show will be aired from Monday to Thursday and will replace Maahi Ve – the channel’s first daily after its revamp – that was launched on 5 December last year.

    Sab senior vice president and business head Vikas Bhal said, “Sab has been providing its viewers a kaleidoscope of entertainment ranging from light-hearted comedies to romantic melodrama through its innovative programming. Continuing this trend we are launching Twinkle Beauty Parlour, a show dedicated to the middle class women of India, who constitute the biggest part of our population.”

    The show has been pitted in the 9 pm slot and will have to compete for eyeballs from Zee TV’s Kasamh Se (which has been doing well), Star Plus’ Miilee, Sony’s new show Aisa Des Hai Mera and Star One’s India Calling.

    But Sab programming head Priya Mishra is confident of her product and is not deterred by competition. “As opposed to other shows in its slot, Twinkle Beauty Parlour would be a refreshing breather for the audience as the treatment of the show is light while the drama is gripping and thought provoking,” she said.

    Phase 1 of the campaign for ‘Twinkle Beauty Parlour’
    Twinkle Beauty Parlour is produced by Shrishti Arya Behl’s Rose Audio Visuals. “The show has multiple protagonists. We have deliberately moved away from the central character norm. Dealing with various lives – four families and five key characters played by the five female protagonists, the show works at different levels,” said Behl.

    Phase 1 of the campaign for ‘Twinkle Beauty Parlour’
    The three phase campaign around the show, which was rolled out some time back is currently in its third phase. While the first phase informed people of the location of the beauty parlour, the second phase had women sporting mustache.. waiting for the parlour to open its doors. The third phase of the campaign will be rolled out next week with the tagline – ‘Sab par khul gaya hai,’ which will inform people that the show is now on-air on Sab.

    Sab is also readying another show for the primetime slot – Left Right Left produced by Tony and Deeya Singh, which is scheduled to launch in June. However, the channel has not yet decided whether it will be a 9.30 pm show or if Twinkle Beauty Parlour will be shifted to the 9.30 pm slot to give way to the new show at 9 pm. If Left Right Left is placed in the 9.30 pm slot, it will be competing with Saat Phere… Saloni Ka Safar on Zee TV, Kavyanjali on Star Plus and Thodi Khushi Thode Gham on Sony.

  • Cellcast to simulcast Bid2Win on Sony, Sahara, Zee Punjabi and Zoom

    Cellcast to simulcast Bid2Win on Sony, Sahara, Zee Punjabi and Zoom

    MUMBAI: An attempt is being made to push the television programming envelope. Even if it is coming in the form of simple game show.

    Come this Sunday, viewers of Sony, Zee Punjabi and Zoom TV will all tune into a single programme at 12 midnight: Bid2Win.

    Before that viewers of SaharaOne will have already sampled the show at 11:30 pm. Based on the reverse auction principle it will run 365 days of the year, and will offer participants, who bid the lowest, prizes ranging from notebook computers to fridges to microwaves to LCD TVs to iPODs to home theater systems, to digital cameras to camcorders.

    Produced by Sparkle Works for UK company Cellcast Interactive, Bid2Win will be hosted by Veer Das, Taraana, and Yudi. Says Cellcast Interactive India CEO Pankaj Thakar: “It’s a compelling interactive format for a mass audience. In a reverse auction, instead of prices going up and up and out of reach, prices stay so low that everyone can participate with confidence. It is a show with high production values and high energy anchors offering high aspirational products at extremely low price.”

    Adds vice president business development Rajeev Dhal: “We plan to simulcast the show on many other channels as the days goes by. This is probably amongst the first major initiatives to push an audience particpatory show.”

    Basically, the three hosts will offer the products on screen and whip up a frenzy among viewers as they either shoot their bids via SMS or IVR. The bids will pop up on screen via graphical interfaces. The lowest bid will stand to win; duplication of a price point by two or more viewers will immediately lead to the bid becoming redundant, reveals Dhal. The auction will continue till the next day with the winner being announced in the following programme. Each SMS has been priced at a premium level of Rs 10 in its tie up with Airtel. Other sign ins with mobile telcos such as Hutch and Idea are likely to follow.

    The half hour show has Prabhu Azgaonkar as the online editor with Asim being the director of photography and Shikha Azgaonkar,the scriptwriter.A four camera set up is being used to bring out the show daily and and an entire operation has been set up to manage the backend for the SMS management and to decide the winner.

    Cellcast Interactive India has bought the telecast slots from the four broadcasters and will not be selling any sponsorships or airtime around the show. Around 10 promos a day are planned to pull in the audience, apart from a SMS push from Airtel.

    Bid2Win is an evolution of a highly successful format pioneered by Cellcast. Reverse auctions first gained popularity on the Internet, and Cellcast developed the concept as a live SMS-driven interactive television show with Star TV in India in autumn of 2004.

    The resulting show received over 6.7 million bids, becoming the world’s largest interactive reverse auction, says a corporate release. In December 2004 a similar format was launched with Lebanese partner Future TV, and proved so popular across the Middle East and North Africa that the show was extended beyond the Ramadan holiday, it adds.

    Will Bid2Win find takers? Will audiences pick up their phones and shoot across SMS and calls? Home shopping companies have been running a successful business by telecasting programming blocks on TV hawking everything from weight loss tools to exercise machines for some years now. Cellcast will probably have to do a lot more to push the concept at viewers; reverse auctions or forward auctions are unfamiliar concepts for the general viewers – a small section of which has been buying goodies shopping at home through television. Additionally, care will have to be taken to ensure that the prizes/bid items are alluring enough.

    If Thakar manages to pull off his plan of roadblocking Bid2Win across 15 channels all over the country, and pushes the telecast time aggressively enough, he might end up making it a success.

  • Sony lines up afternoon fare; horror show to replace Jassi

    Sony lines up afternoon fare; horror show to replace Jassi

    MUMBAI: Sony Entertainment Television (SET) India is now looking at strengthening its afternoon band, which so far aired repeats of prime time shows. Starting 15 May, two new shows will be launched between 1 and 2 pm in the ‘Nayi Dopahar’ band.

    Kabhie To Nazar Milao from the UTV stable will air from Monday to Thursday at 1 pm, whereas Rishton Di Dorr produced by Sri Adhikari Brothers will air at 1:30 pm. The afternoon band will, however, continue to telecast repeats of prime time shows from 12 to 1 pm (Ek Ladki Anjaani Si and Kaisa Ye Pyaar Hai) and from 2 to 3 pm (Thodi Khushi Thoda Gham and Aisa Desh Hai Mera).

    “The idea was to consolidate the all day GRPs of the channels and hence we have introduced fresh programming in the ‘Nayi Dophar’ band, which will help us achieve that,” says SET India COO NP Singh.

    Meanwhile, in the prime time slot, Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi, which finally comes to an end tomorrow (4 May) will be replaced by a horror show Khaufnaak. This one hour show produced by Sri Adhikari Brothers will air from Monday to Thursday at 10 pm.

    “Khaufnaak will be a seasonal show, which will end in a month or so. We will introduce new one hour weeklies in the 10 to 11 pm band in June. That will culminate our initiative of providing new and fresh programming for our viewers,” says Singh.

    In early March, Sony had introduced a fresh new Friday band with Deal Ya No Deal, Fear Factor, a revamped CID and Kandy Floss under the ‘Shukra Hai Shukravaar Hai’ band. On 24 March, the channel yet again launched two new shows in the 9 to10 pm band – Aisa Desh Hai Mera and Thodi Khushi Thoda Gham.

    Now, the new weeklies in the 10 to 11 pm band in June will be the shows to watch out for

  • Hungama TV launches talent hunt for kids; ropes in John Abraham as brand ambassador

    Hungama TV launches talent hunt for kids; ropes in John Abraham as brand ambassador

    MUMBAI: After Sony and Zee, it’s now the turn of kids’ channel Hungama TV to go the reality way. The 18-months old channel, which has grown to become the number two kids’ channel in the country recently, has roped in Bollywood youth icon John Abraham as the brand ambassador for two years.

    Additionally, John will also be endorsing the ‘John Aur Kaun?’ talent hunt, which will give two kids (one boy and one girl) an opportunity to star opposite him in one of UTV’s forthcoming movie.

    The winners, apart from getting an opportunity to star opposite the hunk, will also get a cash prize of Rs 500,000 each and a three year contract with UTV to manage their career.

    The applications will open in the third week of May. The channel will shortlist 1000 candidates each in five cities – Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad – where auditions will be held in June and July.

    Kids’ between the age of 7 – 14 can apply and the selection criteria for the talent hunt will be based on acting and dancing skills. Finally, 40 kids (eight from each city) will be selected. These finalists will be brought to Mumbai, where they will go through a comprehensive training process during which the judges will be narrowing down the participants to four. The final two will be chosen via popular voting (SMS) and IVR (interactive voice response) exercise. Ernst & Young have been roped in as the auditors for the selection process.

    The entire hunt – from the city level auditions to the grand finale – will be televised as a reality show on Hungama TV and will be aired in October. The show will be in the form of 13 one hour episodes and will air three times a week on the channel.

    Hungama TV has roped in Oral B as the presenting sponsor for the ‘John Aur Kaun?’ talent hunt. Bournvita, Maggi and Sunfeast Dream Biscuits will be the co-presenting sponsors, whereas Dermi Cool, Waffy, Tata Salt and Add Gel Achiever are the associate sponsors for the event. Mitashi Edutainment is the prize sponsor.

    The channel has also partnered with Radio City (official radio partner), the Times Group (print and online partner), Planet M and Star News (national news channel partner). A nationwide 360 degree marketing and promotions campaign will hit the print, television, outdoor, radio and internet media in the third week of May.

    An elated Hungama TV COO Zarina Mehta said, “Indian kids have tremendous potential and Hungama TV wants to offer them a platform to showcase their talent. Kids today have the drive and inclination to learn and succeed and this is evident across all sections of the society. In keeping with this philosophy of constant innovation and distinctive content, Hungama TV is proud to bring to viewers ‘John Aur Kaun?’ – a first ever in the kids category.”

    “We are also really excited to have John Abraham on board as the brand ambassador for the channel. John’s sunny personality and easy going nature, couple with his drop-dead looks and undeniable talent, have made him a role model for kids across the country,” she added.

    The channel zeroed in on John as its brand ambassador after an extensive research with kids last year, wherein the dimpled-boy won over his other colleagues in popularity.

    Abraham said, “It feels great to be associated with Hungama TV. I am looking forward to spending time and interacting with kids. ‘John Aur Kaun?’ will give talented kids across the country an opportunity to shine and I am very glad to be involved in this effort.” a

  • Sony’s operating income rises by 68 per cent

    Sony’s operating income rises by 68 per cent

    MUMBAI: Japanese media and electronics major Sony has announced its financial results for the year ended 31 March, 2006.

    Net income fell 24.5 per cent to $1.06 billion, while revenues were up 4.4 percent to $63.9 billion and operating income jumped by 68 per cent to $1.64 billion.

    Investment gains and the good performance of flat television sets were responsible for the good operating income results. But, start-up costs for the PlayStation 3 will affect the game division and push it deep into the red.

    At the gaming division, revenues were up 31.4 percent to $8.2 billion, but operating income fell by 80 per cent to $75 million

    At Sony Pictures Entertainment, revenues were up just 1.7 per cent to $6.4 billion, while operating income dropped 57.1 per cent to $234 million. The company attributed the slump to lower worldwide theatrical and home entertainment revenues on feature films, which partially offset an increase in television product revenues.

    The increase in television revenues is due to higher advertising and subscription sales from several of SPE’s international channels, higher sales of television library product and the extension of a licensing agreement for Wheel of Fortune.

  • Gaming firm Electronic Arts extends deal with Fifa

    Gaming firm Electronic Arts extends deal with Fifa

    MUMBAI: With a view to increasing its presence in the gaming arena football’s governing body Fifa has announced that it has secured a long-term commitment from Electronic Arts (EA).

    The deal extends far beyond existing ventures with a licensee. EA has signed up with world football’s governing body from 2007 to 2014 as the worldwide exclusive Fifa Licensee in the product category of interactive football/soccer player, manager and fantasy software games for all delivery methods including consoles, mobile phones and online formats.

    EA says that it has had a close association with the game of football for more than a decade, having developed the very successful range of FIFA games launched in 1993 and currently with the 2006 Fifa World Cup game, which enables fans to experience the 2006 FIFA World Cup matches on a unique playing field.

    Fifa says that in the early 1990s, it pioneered the industry as the first major sports governing body to endorse a video game. In 2004, Fifa continued this pioneering spirit by launching the first officially sanctioned worldwide video gaming tournament, the FIFA Interactive World Cup. EA will pursue its support for this event and join forces with the new FIFA Partner Sony, as of 2007, to provide the gaming solution and further develop the ambitious virtual football tournament.

    Fifa adds that in the interactive world, there is a wealth of opportunities to fulfill its mission of developing football on a global level and fostering the passion of players and fans. With this renewed partnership, Fifa and EA will continue to take their combined passion for football on and off the pitch and for interactive sports entertainment to millions of fans all around the world.

  • Asian VOD broadcaster Anytime signs distribution deal in Taiwan

    Asian VOD broadcaster Anytime signs distribution deal in Taiwan

    MUMBAI: The Asian video on demand (VOD) channel Anytime has reached a distribution deal in Taiwan with the interactive broadband platform TDMC.

    TDMC TV chairman Zhong Zhen says, “The deal gives TDMC TV customers a variety of content from the Hollywood studios over a secure ADSL broadband connection to a set-top box. The channel launches in Taiwan this month.

    “Anytime has output deals with more Hollywood studios and Asian content creators than any other video on-demand channel. The new Anytime channel on TDMC TV will give viewers in Taiwan easy access to the most popular, up-to-date entertainment, when they want it.”

    The Singapore-based Anytime has existing carriage deals in Australia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand, and the rights to license into 14 territories in Asia Pacific. Shareholders include CPE Holdings (Sony), Fox Media Services, Warner Bros. Entertainment, YTC Group, the Macquarie Bank Group and US based Coote/Hayes Productions.

  • Plus is all India ‘star’ in GECs, while Sun shines brightest among regional channels: IRS 2006

    Plus is all India ‘star’ in GECs, while Sun shines brightest among regional channels: IRS 2006

    MUMBAI: While in the regional space, Star Plus has managed to rise up on the charts more than any other Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC) in the last five years; the story is no different as far as the Top 10 television channels in the country are concerned.

    Since 2000, Star’s flagship channel has managed to topple DD2/Metro, Sony, Zee TV and Zee Cinema to claim the second position with a viewership share of nine per cent in 2006. DD1 (National Network) has maintained its top position over the years.

    DD1’s viewership in the Top 10 TV channels in the All India market in 2006 is 27.4 per cent as compared to its share of 43.2 per cent in 2000 according to the findings of IRS Round I done by Hansa Research and Media Research Users Council (MRUC). Going by these numbers, DD1 viewership on an all India basis has dropped by almost half in the last five years.

    DD2/Metro, which was second in line in 2000 with a share of 11 per cent has completely gone off the Top 10 television channels list in 2006.

    Sony Entertainment Television, on the other hand, which was the number three channel in 2000 with a viewership share of 9.4 per cent, has fallen to the seventh position in 2006 and currently has a share of 4.6 per cent. Rival channel Zee TV saw an even steeper fall over the years, but all the same has maintained its place in the Top 10 television channels list. From its third position in 2000 with a share of 9.2 per cent, Zee TV lost 5.6 per cent share to other channels and fell straight to the tenth position this year with a share of 3.6 per cent.

    The reason for the drop in Sony and Zee’s channel shares, which were the third and fourth best viewed channels after the national channels in 2000, could be because of the change in the program genre of these channels. Both channels focused more on music shows and game shows to garner viewership, reasons Hansa Research marketing and client servicing India head V Sudarshan.

    Going by the data thrown up, the fact remains that viewers are still hooked to the soaps and serials, which is clearly indicated by Star Plus viewership numbers, predominantly garnered by the ‘K’ serials. However, now both Sony and Zee have a robust line up of dramas like Thodi Khushi Thode Gham, Aisa Desh Hai Mera, Saath Phere and Jabb Love Hua in the primetime. Hence it remains to be seen whether the channels’ popularity soars on the charts riding on these shows. Zee TV’s Saath Phere, for one, has been consistently delivering for the channel in terms of ratings.

    While three channels from the Top 10 All India list have disappeared from the charts in 2006, three other channels have made their entry. DD2/Metro (second position), Star Sports (seventh position) and DD10 Marathi (eighth position), which were on the charts in 2000 seem to have made way for DD News (third position), Aaj Tak (fourth position) and Sun TV (fifth position) in 2006.

    One of the interesting trend that is seen in the current Top 10 and the Top 10 five years back is that in 2000, no news channel made its way to the Top 10 list. Whereas in 2006, DD News and Aaj Tak have been featured.

    “This explains a very big phenomenon, that there are possibilities that these news channels are now eating into the share of the print medium, and it could be that people are now preferring to tune rather than turn, for their news requirement. Viewers are interested in current news, and not yesterday’s news and this also reiterates the fact, why magazine readership has come down so dramatically over the period,” said Sudarshan.

    One channel that has maintained a consistent performance on the charts since 2000 is Zee Cinema. In term of viewership share, the channel has dropped only marginally from 6 per cent in 2000 to 5.3 per cent in 2006 and is now placed in the sixth position as opposed to its fifth position in 2000.

    Among the regional channels, apart from Sun TV, that have made a mark in the Top 10 channels in the All India market in 2006, are ETV (4.4 per cent) and Gemini TV (4.1 per cent) in the eighth and ninth position respectively.