NEW DELHI: Seems like, when it comes to delivering news, Aaj Tak continues to dominate the news channel scenario.

While competitors might have a different take on it, Aaj Tak claims to be 'the best'. And this time on, the Aroon Purie promoted news network is armed with leading market research agency AC Nielsen's study 'Perceptions of News Channels in India'.

According to a press release issued by Aaj Tak, the study claims that Aaj Tak has a Brand Equity Index of 4.3 among the news channels, which is more than twice that of its nearest competitor.

At 42 per cent, Aaj Tak also has the highest top-of-mind awareness amongst the news channels followed by Star News and Zee News.

The study was conducted by AC Nielsen to understand the brand equity and perceptions of various news channels and to determine the factors that drive news viewership.

The news channels market is becoming fiercely competitive. In fact, news has emerged as a genre that has the maximum number of channels in India, offers the official statement from TV Today Network.

Rather than focusing on just the rating of the various news channels, the AC Nielsen study also analysed the factors that affect the way in which a channel is perceived by viewers, which in turn impacts both viewership and loyalty.

The study established Aaj Tak as an unbiased channel that focuses on each story with the aim of not just delivering it to the viewers in the best and fastest manner, but also brings about reform.

Other key findings includes:

• Aaj Tak is the most preferred channel in the news genre
• News bulletins are the most preferred news programme, followed by political interviews
• Business news and news-based discussions are preferred primarily by SEC A
• Driving force for news channel choice are:

1. Reliability of news
2. Relevance of news items for viewer
3. News that instills social responsibility
4. Creates awareness and understanding of critical issues
5. Variety of topics and areas covered

This is not the first time that Aaj Tak has been acknowledged as the leader in the news genre. In the Brand Derby survey conducted by Business Standard (Strategist) in 2003, Aaj Tak was the only channel that featured in the list of very successful brand launches in the past seven years.

In Brand Derby 2002, Aaj Tak was the only media brand to be featured amongst the most successful brands. In the last three years, Aaj Tak has won five 'Best News Channel' awards, apart from innumerable other awards in various categories.

Needless to add, Aaj Tak claims, its extremely high brand equity is a function of a potent mix of incredible content management, along with the phenomenal success of its sales, marketing and distribution.

The AC Nielsen study was undertaken in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata, and was based on exhaustive interviews with males in the SEC category A/B/C in the age group 25-50.