Kids' channels may be slugging it out for the top slot, but in north India, most kids are glued to Kyunkii and Kahaani..during prime time.

The telly emerges as a strong competitor to the playground for kids' free time

If a study conducted by Mudra's media division - OMS, on media habits of kids is to be believed, a staggering 81 per cent of children watch TV with their parents and end up watching soaps during the 8-11 pm time band. While in both sample territories (Delhi and Meerut) kids prefer the 5-7 pm slot when there is no adult watching the telly, disparities still exist. In Delhi, says the study, there is parity between the cartoons and the soap shows, but Meerut is clearly skewed towards soaps.

Cross comparison among the 6-10 age group examined in the two cities found that 20 per cent of kids in Delhi watch television for over four hours as opposed to nine per cent in Meerut. Star Plus rules the roost in both cities. In Delhi, Cartoon Network ranks second.

72 per cent of kids in Delhi read comics, only 47 per cent in Meerut do

Star Plus and Sony top the list of preferred channels among kids, says the study. In Meerut, Star Plus is the clear winner, with no other channel coming close. In Delhi, Star Plus is the number one channel, followed closely by Cartoon Network, the study reveals. Cartoon Network, notes the study, does extremely well during the summer vacation with a nearly 50 per cent reach, a time when kids stay glued to the tube from 10 am to 6 pm. Throughout the rest of the year, it notes, the situation is the reverse. In school days, the average reach increases to 45 per cent. Among mothers, says the report, the reach is more in the summer as opposed to school days.

Another interesting observation of the study is that while 44 per cent of Delhi's kids play outdoor games, in Meerut, 74 per cent spend their free time playing rather than watch TV.

Star Plus, Sony and other mainstream channels generate nearly 90 per cent reach among kids in the summer especially in the morning and early afternoon. Both Discovery and NGC double their reach in this period (40 per cent average). The overall reach of channels increases (an average of 75 per cent compared to 50 per cent during school days).

The study also throws up an interesting observation - in Meerut, there is a clear distinction between boys and girls. "As one went up the age groups, girls were encouraged to stay indoors. This factor resulted in girls being very high on television viewership," the study says.

Ads with an element of humour and are easily indentifiable go down well with children, says the study. Not surprisingly, Pepsi and Coke which have roped in Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan respectively have high brand recall. The study also denotes the areas where kids have high 'pester power' - chips, cakes, noodles, and observes that there is a huge difference in the pocket money received by kids in Meerut and in Delhi. The study reveals, however, that kids' influence is not limited to 'pester power' but has now grown to include 'money power' as well, thanks to the increasing quantum of pocket money.