BENGALURU: As news television channels flashed and experts sliced, diced, hashed and rehashed the Supreme Court judgment holding the right to privacy as a fundamental right, the two premier English news television channels continued their own hashing and rehashing of ratings data on air.
Examples of the level of mockery that the two channels have made in the name of breaking news are in the title of this story – the first sentence of the title was flashed quite obviously on the Arnab Goswami lead Republic TV and the second one again obviously on Times Now.
Here is an example of what Times Now viewers saw on their idiot boxes just post 1100 am this morning:
Some of the prominent flashes on Times Now were statements such as The Republic watches Times Now; Victory for Honesty and Hard Word; India Rejects Stale and Biased Journalism; India endorses Honesty & credibility; Stories that force you to watch; etc.
Times Now flashed relative share for English News genre: Times Now 42 percent; Republic TV 27 percent; India Today Television 10 percent; CNN News 18 - 8 percent; NDTV 24X 7 10 percent
Republic's unstoppable Number 1 run continues. Thank you, viewers. #RepublicNumber1 pic.twitter.com/0BmH8IwfCX
— Republic (@republic) August 24, 2017
And this is what Republic TV viewers saw on their idiot boxes:
200% greater than Times Now in primetime; Stunning victory for Republic TV; 15 weeks non-stop number 1; Stunning number 1 run continues; All India number 1 again; Forced and fake reach demolished; News wins, Content wins; Sensational leadership continues; Competition demolished in all India numbers.
Look what the Republic is actually watching. Source: BARC|All India 1MN+| NCCS AB Males 22+| Wk 33 '17 pic.twitter.com/VReOIV4fzp
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) 24 August 2017
Republic TV indicated primetime (2100 to 2300 hours) ratings as 43 percent, 23.27 percent Times Now; CNN News 18 -11.10 percent; India Today Television 12.99 percent; NDTV 24x7 -8.68 percent; News X 1 percent.
Both the channels have referred to Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) weekly data for week 33 of 2017.
Also Read:
Times Now narrows gap with Republic TV, again
Republic TV & Pushkar's kin restrained, hearing on 21 Sept
Times Now closes in on Republic TV
Arnab Goswami told to respect Tharoor's right, Delhi HC hearing on 16 Aug
