English news genre ratings rise after nadir in BARC week 12

English news genre ratings rise after nadir in BARC week 12

Arnab Goswami

BENGALURU: After recording probably the lowest combined ratings of the top five English news channels in the previous week (week 11 of 2018: Saturday, 10 March 2018 to Friday, 16 March 2018), the genre recorded a 7.4 per cent increase across the same parameter in week 12 of 2018 (Saturday, 17 March 2018 to Friday, 23 March 2018). The combined ratings of the top five English news channels as per Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) weekly data for week 12 of 2018 was 1.858 million impressions as compared to 1.730 million impressions for week 11. Week 11 ratings are the lowest combined ratings of the genre’s top five channels in the calendar year 2018 so far.

In the case of the Hindi news genre, the channels and ranks in week 12 remained unchanged as compared to week 11 of 2018 in HSM (U+R). However, the ranks were not the same in the individual urban and rural markets. Further, the combined ratings of the top five Hindi news channels - HSM (U+R): NCCS All : 15+ individuals fell by 2 per cent in week 12 of 2018 as compared to the preceding week. The combined ratings of the HSM (U) – Hindi speaking urban market declined by 1.3 per cent while that of the rural market – HSM (R) declined by 2.5 per cent in week 12 as compared to week 11 of 2018. The combined ratings of the top five Hindi news channels in HSM (U+R) in week 12 was 414.448 million impressions as compared to 422.953 million impressions in the previous week. Comparative numbers for HSM (U) and HSM (R) were 241.746 million weekly impressions in week 12, 244.955 million impressions in week 11 of 2018 and 176.427 million impressions in week 12 and 180.946 million impressions in week 11 respectively.

English news genre

As has become a norm right from the week of its start (week 19 of 2017), the Arnab Goswami-led Republic TV headed the top five English news channels pack for week 12 followed by the previous holder of the numero uno position – Times Now. Republic TV scored 0.583 million weekly impressions to the 0.570 million impressions of Times Now. At third place in week 12 of 2018 was India Today Television with 0.283 million weekly impressions followed by CNN News 18 with 0.249 million weekly impressions. At fifth place was the Prannoy and Radhika Roy-led NDTV 24x7 with 0.173 million weekly impressions.

Hindi news genre

As is also the norm, Aaj Tak led the genre in combined urban and rural markets as well as individual urban and rural HSM markets. Aaj Tak’s ratings for HSM (U+R), HSM (U) and HSM (R) were 102.406 million weekly impressions, 58.025 weekly impressions and 44.0385 weekly impressions respectively in week 12 of 2018.

At second place in HSM (U+R) was India TV News with 87.193 weekly impressions,53.506 weekly impressions and 33.687 weekly impressions in HSM (U+R), HSM (U) and HSM (R). While India TV retained its second rank in week 11 and 12 in HSM (U), it dropped a rank to third place in week 12 as compared to week 11 in HSM (R).

At third place in the top five channels list of Hindi news channels HSM (U+R) and HSM (U) in week 12 of 2018 was News 18 India with 78.062 weekly impressions, 47.419 weekly impressions and 30.642 weekly impressions in HSM (U+R), HSM(U) and HSM (R) respectively. Though it retained its third rank in HSM (U+R) and HSM (R) it dropped to fifth rank in week 12 from fourth in week 11 of 2018 in HSM (R).

At fourth rank in week 12 was Zee News with 77.616 weekly impressions in HSM (U+R), 45.201 weekly impressions in HSM (U) and 32.415 weekly impressions in HSM (R). The channel was ranked fourth in week 11 and 12 of 2018 across HSM (U+R), HSM (U) and HSM (R).

At fifth rank in BARC’s list of top five Hindi news channels in HSM (U+R) was News Nation with 69.211 million weekly impressions. The channel scored 35.303 million weekly impressions in HSM (R) where it was ranked second in week 12 as compared to fifth rank in week 11 of 2018. The channel was absent from BARC’s list of top five Hindi news channels in HSM (U), where APN News retained its week 11 rank of fifth position. ABP News scored 37.595 million weekly impressions in week 12 of 2018.

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