MUMBAI: Colors is one step behind Sony Entertainment Television, the closest it has got to this year as it strives to occupy the No. 2 spot in the Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC) space.
Colors gained marginally through its weekend one-hour special airing of a fiction property while Sony lost eight GRPs (gross rating points) to narrow the gap between the second and third GECS to just a single point.
Colors scored 208 GRPs for the week ended 11 February, helped by its recently launched daily fiction property, Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha, that clocked 2 TVR in its special airing on Saturday-Sunday. The Viacom18 channel added 4 GRPs over the preceding week, gaining 5 GRPs from its weekend programming.
Sony, on the other hand, rested the week ended 11 February with 209 GRPs, down from 217 GRPs. The channel, which rejuvenated on the back of the Amitabh Bachchan-hosted game show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) last year, lost six GRPs from its weekday primetime content and two points from the weekend properties. Its two top-rated shows, C.I.D and Bade Achche Lagte Hain, fell to an average TVR of 3.8 and 2.9 respectively, from their trailing week ratings of 4.1 and 3.2.
The narrowest gap between the two rivals this year was seven GRPs in the week ended 28 January, after Colors had briefly toppled Sony in the last week of 2011 due to its in-house television awards show, Golden Petal Awards that fetched a TVR of 4.98.
"The place for the second position has opened up. It will be interesting to see what strategies Sony and Colors adopt in the year," says a media analyst.
Market leader, Star Plus, lost 36 GRPs and ended the week with 273 GRPs, according to TAM data for the Hindi speaking markets (C&S, 4+). The channel saw a dip in viewership in all the slots (weekday primetime, weekend primetime and afternoon). The channel‘s popular shows, Saathiya Saath Nibhana, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Ha, Diya Aur Bati Hum and Iss Pyar ko Kya Nam Du lost ratings.
Zee TV, the fourth GEC in the pecking order, added 23 GRPs on the back of Zee Cine Awards (4.38 TVR) that was aired on 5 February at the 8 pm slot. The channel ended with 202 GRPs (last week 179).
Sony Entertainment Network‘s second offering, Sab, registered 142 GRPs (last week 132). The channel’s most-watched fiction comedy, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashma, found its way to the Top 10 GEC programme list for the week ended 11 February, garnering 3.84 TVR.
Life OK, Star‘s second GEC, gained 4 GRPs to end the week with 87 GRPs.
Imagine TV with 57 GRPs (last week 55) and Sahara One with 46 GRPs (last week 48) continued to occupy the bottom of the GEC ladder.
