ITV

Tag: Times now

  • Republic TV continues to rule English News genre ratings

    BENGALURU: The Arnab Goswami led Indian English News channel Republic TV continued to lead the ratings in its genre for week 25 of 2017 (Saturday, 17 June 2017 to Friday, 23 June 2017). Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) weekly data for week 25 showed that Republic TV topped the charts with 868,000 weekly impressions, followed at a fair distance behind (29.6 percent behind) by the earlier genre leader Times Now which scored 670,000 weekly impressions.

    This analysis comes with a few caveats. BBC World News has been present in the weekly top five English News channels list for 18 of the first 25 weeks of 2017. It has not been considered here, since it is not an Indian English News channel, but its ratings have been added to the sum of ratings of the top 5 channels in the English New genre as well as to arrive at average weekly ratings. The combined weekly impressions (CWI) mentioned in this analysis includes only those numbers that the channels garnered when they were in the weekly top five channels’ lists. Their overall actual weekly average impressions during the 25 weeks of 2017 could be different. BARC data for weeks 1 to 25 of 2017 for Top 5 English news channels – All India (U+R): NCCS AB : Males 22+ Individuals has been used. For equitable comparison, week 21 of 2017 data for the genre has not been considered at some places in this analysis.

    Right from its launch in week 19 of 2017 (6 May 2017 to 12 May 2017) Republic TV has led the genre, displacing Times Now.  During week 19, Republic TV had 2,118,000 weekly impressions, almost double that of Times Now which had 1,148,000 weekly impressions in the same week.  As the weeks have passed, the curiosity factor in Republic TV seems to have diminished and in week 24 of 2015, the difference in the ratings of these two main protagonists in the English News genre was 28,000 weekly impressions with Republic TV’s ratings at 963,000 weekly impressions to Times Now ratings at 935,000 weekly impressions.

    The launch of Republic TV gave rise to an ugly war between the existing Indian English News channels and the new entrant. For one week, week 21 of 2017, ratings of the top Indian English news channels were not published as they had stripped their new feeds of the BARC audio watermark. The NBA-backed channels returned to the BARC fold in week 22. Please refer to the chart below for the comparative ratings of the two channels:

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    Though Republic TV seems to have helped increase the ratings for the genre, overall the genre has seen a progressive fall in the combined weekly ratings of the top 5 channels in week 25 from the high of week 19. Before the launch of Republic TV in week 19, the top 5 English News channels had an average combined viewership of 18,83,611 weekly impressions (for weeks 1 to 18 of 2017). After the launch of Republic TV, average viewership ratings of the top 5 channels from the English News genre climbed up by 15.4 percent to 2,173,417 weekly impressions during weeks 1 to 25 of 2017.

    Please refer to the figure below for English News genre ratings in 2017 until week 25.

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    Please refer to the figure below for the list of top 5 English News channels for week 25.

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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.

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    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 files contempt petition against Times Group

    NEW DELHI: The Republic TV–Times Now war took yet another turn with Arnab Goswami’s channel filing a contempt petition against the Times Group alleging violation of court orders in the ongoing civil suit.

    Earlier, in the case by Bennett Coleman Company Ltd (owner of Times Now Channel) against Republic TV and Goswami alleging theft and infringement of intellectual property, Justice Manmohan had on 26 May passed an order restraining both the channels from broadcasting or publishing the day-to-day proceedings of the case. They were only allowed to reproduce the court order.

    However, Republic TV has alleged in the contempt petition that BCCL have published an article in their newspaper Times of India pertaining to the proceedings of the case. The same has been circulated through their website as well.

    The Court had directed BCCL to publish the order in question in their newspaper within three days. However, an irked Justice Manmohan observed that both the parties should bring down the temperature. He said, “There is scope for everyone in this profession.”

    Referring to Republic TV, he observed: “The more people attack you, the more publicity you will get.”

    The petition says the article gave the impression that BCCL secured some relief from the Court. The petition also states that Times had maligned Republic, “…by publishing coloured information pertaining to the sub judice proceedings, giving the general public at large the impression that the Court had issued favourable orders to the detriment of the petitioner, with the intention of maligning and tarnishing his image. This was in spite of the express observation of this Court that BCCL had brought no document on record to show that the impugned audio tapes were part of their data base.”

    Appearing for the Times Group, senior Advocate Rajiv Nayyar expressing regret submitted that the publishing of the said article was an error and happened due to a communication gap.

    Republic TV has now asked the high court to restrain the Times Group from reporting the case till the disposal of the suit. It has also sought a direction to make the alleged contemnors publish an article in ToI, “apologising for deliberately misreporting and misleading the general public about the outcome of the proceedings…” It has also asked for exemplary costs in its favour.

    The Republic TV petition was filed by Phoenix Legal, through Partners Saket Shukla, Mrinal Ojha, Trinath Tadakamalla and Debarshi Dutta.

  • English TV news channels to return to BARC fold from midnight 26 May

    MUMBAI: There’s another twist in the tale of the story of the ratings of news television channel debutante Republic TV. The five English TV news channel members of the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) of India, which had stripped their signals of Broadcast Audience Research Council’s (BARC’s) audio water mark last week, agreed to reinsert it in their streams from their studios just as the clock hand moves past midnight of 26 May.

    This means that NDTV 24×7, Times Now, India Today, NewsX and CNN News18 will once again come under the ambit of BARC’s viewership monitoring. Around a week ago, they had raised a protest after BARC had refused to heed their plea that it should not report Republic TV’s ratings as it had allegedly resorted to rampant multiple LCN placement on cable TV networks across India.

    A spate of appeals, petitions, court hearings followed, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India cracked down on the errant cable TV platforms and almost every appellant and respondent claimed victory following the court orders and directions.

    But finally, hopefully the curtains have been drawn on the messy affair of English news channels, Republic TV, the NBA, TRAI and BARC which suddenly brought them under the spotlight.

    According to a report in a legal website, TV Today Network that had asked for reliefs in a case filed by it against Republic TV in Delhi HC, at one stage submitted that if the malpractice was no longer existent then it would not press for the reliefs prayed for in the petition, provided that the respondents state this on record. After the taking the statements of the respondents on record, the petition was dismissed as withdrawn without the court going into the contentions of either the petitioners or respondents.

    However, NBA maintained the resolution to the crisis was found with Republic TV committing to the Delhi High court that it will cease resorting to placing itself on multiple LCNs and BARC explaining to the association the process to approach such complaints satisfactorily.

  • Delhi HC notice to Arnab Goswami on ‘theft’ suit by Times group

    NEW DELHI: Delhi High Court, which had earlier issued summons, has now issued a notice to Republic TV’s Arnab Goswami in a case filed against him by former employer Bennett, Coleman and Company Ltd (BCCL), owners of Times Now news channel. The complainant had alleged breach of employment contract and misusing intellectual property belonging to BCCL.

    Goswami and his colleague Prema Sridevi, who was also in Times Now, are accused of having played audio tapes during a story on the mysterious death of Congress Party member and MP Shashi Tharoor’s wife Sunanda Pushkar. Times Now claims the audio tapes were its property. This development has been reported by legal news portal Live Law.

    BCCL has alleged the Sunanda Pushkar tapes and those played out during a story done by Republic TV on its debut day on Lalu Prasad were ‘procured and accessed’ by Goswami and Sridevi while they were employed by Times Now.

    While the court observed that an employee has to maintain confidentiality and utmost fidelity towards his employer and they cannot breach contract, it said that since the Times Group hasn’t submitted anything on record to prove that the audio recordings used by Goswami were parts of its database, it has only issued a short notice.

    Earlier, the court had issued summons to Goswami, Sridevi and the ARG Outlier Media Private Limited, the company that owns Republic TV, in the matter.

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  • News channel controversy: BARC India fires riposte to NBA

    MUMBAI: The muck is flying thick and fast in the English news channel genre. Yesterday, the English news channel members of the News Broadcasters Association decided to pull out of the Broadcast Audience Research Council’s (BARC) viewership monitoring by removing its watermark from their channels. This followed the BARC’s decision to release data for week 19 despite the NBA urging it not to do so as debutante the Arnab Goswami headed Republic TV had resorted to dual and multiple LCN placement of the channel to pump up its viewership.
    The net result: Republic TV emerged as the leader in the genre beating back old time vets such as Times Now, India Today, NDTV 24×7, NewsX and CNN News 18.

    A short while ago, BARC issued a clarification to indiantelevision.com stating that multiple LCN placement is rampant in the news television industry and nobody can call the kettle black. Said it in a statement:

    “The fact is that this is a common distribution strategy among various TV channels, particularly News Broadcasters, to place their channels on multiple LCNs and across genres in the past, and they continue to do so even now.

    Based on information collected from various monitoring agencies we have seen that multiple English news channels on different occasions have placed themselves on multiple LCNs viz across 64 distribution networks during rebranding/revamp, across 16 networks during budget coverage, across 12 networks during UP elections etc. It has become a usual practice.”

    “We have a transparent policy on the matter of measuring channels, (which is available on our website http://bit.ly/2dllmIp). This policy has been consistently applied to all channels who subscribe to our measurement.

    “We are clear about our position – we measure viewership of channels basis their unique Watermark ID, irrespective of the platform the channel is available on or the number of instances within the platform. For channels having same watermark on more than one LCN, viewership gets aggregated and reported as a single channel and not multiple channels. BARC India neither monitors channel placements across the various DTH platforms/cable head-ends in the country, nor does it have the mandate to do so.

    “In the past, we have measured multiple LCN instances of channels as per our policy, and reported them as one channel and the same principle has been applied to our data released yesterday. BARC India is not the regulatory body for resolving issues concerning multiplicity of LCNs for a channel.

    “Ideally these issues should be sorted among broadcasters themselves rather than dragging BARC India into these.

    BARC India will continue to measure what India watches.”

  • Indian English news channels boycott BARC’s viewership monitoring

    MUMBAI: In a coordinated move, the English TV channel news members of the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) have decided to pull out of Indian viewership ratings monitor Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC). As of 7 pm today – India Today, Times Now, News X, CNN News19, and NDTV 24×7 – have stopped inserting the BARC water mark in their TV signals from their studios.

    This follows BARC CEO Partho Dasgupta’s decision to publish Republic TV’s viewership data today despite the NBA urging it to refrain from doing so on account of the members’ belief that it had allegedly resorted to massive multi LCN placement of the channel on various MSOs/DPOs and cable TV networks nationally.

    The latest viewership data showed that Republic TV had gone on to capture more than 52 per cent of the viewership.

    The five channels have stated that they have written to BARC in the past about the alleged abuse and tampering of its monitoring methodology and have received a standard response which has been almost indifference to their concerns. And the snub by the ratings agency this morning was the last straw, hence they decided to pull out of the watermarking.

    Sources state that the five channels would like an assurance from BARC that it will only report the data after Republic TV stops allegedly messing around by placing itself in multiple genres and LCNs.

    Additionally, they would like an assurance from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) that the MSOs and DPOs have totally cleaned up their acts and placed Republic TV only in one genre and LCN.

    As the five will not be part of the monitoring from BARC, its next week’s report could end up showing that Republic TV has maximum viewership of the Indian English news genre with international news channels such as BBC, CNN and Al jazeera also picking up. (Updated on 19 May 2017 at 3 pm)

    Indiantelevision.com placed a call to the BARC spokesperson but received no response at the time of writing.

    Questions that arise from this fracas around the ratings and the news channels boycott: How long will this faceoff continue? Will BARC blink first? What currency will advertisers use to decide on which shows and channels to advertise on in the English news genres? Why does it seem like déjà vu? Did the industry err by backing BARC and pulling the shutters down on TAM’s viewership ratings? Will the TRAI or MIB now step in to ensure that some sanity comes into the news channel business (many dread this)? Or will BARC step back and heed the request of the members of the NBA?

  • 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?”