ITV

Tag: Tehelka

  • Sun TV slams reports about stake sell to Reliance Industries

    Sun TV slams reports about stake sell to Reliance Industries

    MUMBAI: Kalanithi Maran owned Sun TV network has slammed media reports suggesting a possible sell out to Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Limited (RIL).

     

    As was reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com, media reports published on 20 March, 2015 claimed a possible takeover of Sun TV by Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) had sought clarification from both the companies, which are listed on the bourse.

     

    Responding to the clarification notice from BSE, Sun Group CFO SL Narayanan said, “There is absolutely no truth in the news report that Sun TV is considering a stake sale.”

     

    Echoing the same, RIL in its reply to the BSE has said, “We wish to state that there is no truth in what a website in question has chosen to write. Do please note that the reporter did not ask us about the facts.”

     

    In a notice to both, BSE had earlier in the day said, “The Exchange has sought clarification from Sun TV Network Ltd and RIL with respect to news article appearing on ET Now on 20 March, 2015 titled “Tehelka reports – RIL considering acquiring Sun TV, RIL officials meeting at Chennai office to work out deal & deal in works for last 3 months.”

       

  • BSE seeks clarification from Sun TV following media reports of RIL buy out

    BSE seeks clarification from Sun TV following media reports of RIL buy out

    MUMBAI: It was on 20 March 2015, that a media house published a speculative report stating possibilities of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) taking over Kalanithi Maran’s Sun TV Network.

     

    Last year, RIL had shocked the media industry by taking over one of India’s largest media companies – Network18.

     

    The report further claims senior officials of RIL holding numerous meetings in Sun TV’s Chennai office to work the deal out.

     

    Mukesh Ambani led Reliance Industries, which already has made its foray into the media sector by Network18’s acquisition, if at all takes over Sun TV, will put a huge question mark on the credibility and freedom of media.

     

    Following the developments, the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) has sought for a clarification from both Sun TV and RIL.

     

    In a notice to both, BSE has said, “The Exchange has sought clarification from Sun TV Network Ltd with respect to news article appearing on ET Now on 20 March, 2015 titled “Tehelka reports – RIL considering acquiring Sun TV, RIL officials meeting at Chennai office to work out deal & deal in works for last 3 months.” 

     

    The reply from both the parties is awaited.

     

  • Zee TV is the only gainer in Week 48

    Zee TV is the only gainer in Week 48

    MUMBAI: As the alleged rape case involving Tehelka founder Tarun Tejpal and a female journalist working with the magazine unfolded last week, the focus of Indian television viewers seem to have shifted from the general entertainment channels to the news channels.

    Otherwise there’s no reason for almost all the general entertainment channels (GECs) to witness a drop in its ratings in the week 48 of TAM TV ratings. It was just Zee TV that has gained with 448,553 GVTs (433,447), though it maintains its third position in the chart. Star Plus continues to lead with 548,331 GVTs (560,497) followed by Colors that has registered 478,534 GVTs (513,415).

    Life OK continues to be at number four with 334,327 GVTs (335,013), Sab TV with 269,269 GVTs (308,133) is at number five. Sony continues to be at number six with 238,987 GVTs (269,332). Sahara One is still lagging behind and is at the bottom of the ratings list with 33,691 GVTs (30,429).

    Coming back to the chart topper, Star Plus, its most popular and loved show in the prime-time slot seems to be losing out on viewers. This time Diya Aur Baati Hum has registered only 11,449 TVTs (12,298). Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, another popular offering from the channel too registered 7,329 TVTs (7,863). Even the viewership of Pyar Ka Dard Hai went down as it scored 6,661 TVTs (7,351). However, Sath Nibhana Saathiya managed enough to balance it out. The show registered 8,683 TVTs (8,290). The epic series Mahabharat too notched up and scored 7,170 TVTs (6,835). And surprisingly, the ratings of Saraswati Chandra too went up. It registered 5,367 TVTs (5,071). The ratings of popular celebrity dance reality show, Nach Baliye, however didn’t witness much change and registered 4,267 TVTs (4,736).

    Colors longest running and the most popular fiction series, Balika Vadhu generated 6,513 TVTs (6,684), while Madhubala – Ek Ishq Ek Junoon scored 4,329 TVTs (4,749). Uttaran that has been on-air on the channel since quite some time now also witnessed a significant rise and rated 4,031 TVTs (3,645). However, Comedy Nights with Kapil that has been tickling the funny bones of the audience and has been really popular seems to have lost its charm this week and has witnessed a drop with 7,851 TVTs (8,464). The international series 24 starring Anil Kapoor has also failed to click with the audience and has registered 2,797 TVTs (3,058 TVTs). The unfolding romance and drama in the celebrity-reality show Bigg Boss too hasn’t worked too well for the channel as even that has lost out on viewers. Bigg Boss registered 5,102 TVTs (5,491).

    For Zee TV, its period drama Jodha Akbar seems to have worked well. The ratings of the show notched up taking its tally to 10,182 TVTs (9,801). Its sitcom Bh se Bhade too managed enough viewers and scored 2,079 TVTs (1,650). Even the ratings of Qubool Hai registered 5,862 TVTs (5,830). The ratings of Pavitra Rishta and Do Dil Bandhe Ek Dori Se escalated as well with 5,468 TVTs (5,043) and 5,369 TVTs (5,019) respectively. Its popular dance reality show, Dance India Dance 4, however witnessed a drop and scored 4,323 TVTs (4,666) during the weekend.

    Fourth placed, Life OK witnessed a slight rise in its popular mythological series Mahadev and managed 3,312 TVTs (3,212). Even its new horror series Khauff Begins fared well in the first week with 2,539 TVTs. The ratings of Ek Boond Ishq and Do Dil Ek Jaan remained stable with 2,833 TVTs (2,834) and 1,491 TVTs (1,494) respectively. Crime-based show Shapath witnessed a huge drop and generated 3,055 TVTs (4,057). Crime-based show Savdhaan India scored 3,024 TVTs (3,035). Tumhari Paakhi managed to grab enough eye balls to take its TVT to 2,183 TVTs (1,877).

    Sab’s fiction show, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah that has been keeping viewers in splits since last few years, has lost viewership it seems as it registered just 7,647 TVTs (8,856). Even Chidiya Ghar saw a significant drop and generated 2,935 TVTs (3,479). Lapataganj saw a slight dip as well and generated 1,769 TVTs (1,921). Baalveer registered 2,643 TVTs (3,293).

    Almost all the shows on Sony witnessed a drop in its ratings. Even its longest running crime series CID that has been really popular with the viewers witnessed a drop with 4,600 TVTs (5,254). Even Crime Patrol managed just 2,964 TVTs (3,255). The channel’s historical show Maharana Pratap recorded 2,733 TVTs (3,054), while quiz show KBC witnessed a drop and registered 3,248 TVTs (3,738). Other fiction shows either maintained a stable position or dipped marginally during the week. Its horror flick, Bhoot Aaya doesn’t seem to entice viewers as it registered only 1,423 TVTs (1,662).

    In the movie channel genre, Zee Cinema reported 253,575 GVTs (197,512); Star Gold registered 181,167 GVTs (178,122) and Movies OK scored 133,805 GVTs (127,470). On the other hand, &pictures witnessed a huge drop and scored 81,291 GVTs (112,609), Zee Anmol registered 55,524 GVTs (46,088) and Max scored 129,948 GVTs (200,508).

    While all the GECs have maintained a stable position this week with only Zee TV gaining few extra points, let’s see what’s in store for the channels in the coming weeks.

  • ‘TRP chasing has done major damage and it is time we took a call on that’

    ‘TRP chasing has done major damage and it is time we took a call on that’

    I will describe this year as one of the lowest points in Indian TV journalism. This has been the year with the most serious crisis of content. And this year has clearly shown how ratings and TRPs can affect content.

    There is a serious need to look at the ratings system. If the ratings system goes on like this, where it is impacting the kind of content that is defining the channel, then it is a bleak future of TV news journalism.

    This has been a particularly bad year, which is why there has been so much hue and cry and there is so much hostility towards TV news channels. The common man is fed up and everyone is saying that there is no news in TV news channels.

    This has been a particularly bad year, which is why there has been so much hue and cry and there is so much hostility towards TV news channels
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    And in the coming year, there is a dire need for all the editors and proprietors to rethink which direction they will take their channels. And if the only factor is ratings, then we should seriously look into the ratings system. A time will soon come when people will lose faith in the news channels.

    And it is this debate that has given the government the alibi to come out with a Content Code so that they can have control over the news channels. We have given the government the entry to come restrict the freedom of expression.

    That’s one thing. About my own channel, we can say that we were bold enough to stand our ground saying, “Whatever rubbish is going on the other channels, let them do it, but we shall not do that.” I won’t say we have been 100 per cent successful, but very, very successful and I am proud that we are probably the only Hindi news channel that can call itself a news channel.

    We provoked ourselves to get news in the right perspective. We have been aggressive and this has given us excellent results, maybe not in terms of ratings, but in terms of perception. We have severely shaken up the political establishment repeatedly.

    We provoked ourselves to get news in the right perspective. We have been aggressive and this has given us excellent results
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    It was our stories on Maharashtra or Uttar Pradesh that has angered the governments and got Mulayam Singh annoyed with us. After he left, we did excellent reporting on the Mayawati government and they were also very angry with us, which I think is a compliment. This showed that we were not targeting any particular government, and this is why our channel was shut thrice in UP.

    The same thing happened with us in Gujarat also, where we had a tough time. Our channel was shut for about a week when we did the story based on Guajrat Riots expose done by Tehelka..

    We have stood firmly on our feet during these difficult times, and even in terms of ratings also, we have improved vastly. When we started last year, we had six points, and in a year, we doubled that and touched 14 per cent market share, so it is not as if people are not watching news channels. And yet, there is a crisis of content in the news industry as a whole.

    The present ratings system is does not define what is a news channel.

    The problem with TV is that if there is anything dramatic happening, whether it is news or not, people have a tendency to watch that. And a few channels have realised that if they have to improve their ratings, then they have to get that kind of content. It is sex that has become very, very important… it is the gory that has become very, very important…

    In fact, I call them low cost reality channels rather than news channels. People go back home after the whole day and want to see what has happened in India or across the world, but what they see is everything other than news.